Legends of Darkness I
by Hagashi Abarai Productions
Summary: 7 years after the fall of Talpa, Aizen stretches his reach into the Dynasty. As the human world and the Seireitei are threatened, Sotaichou sends out his captains to investigate. Two women are the key; Claudia, who can see ghosts, and Kima the Destroyer.
1. Chapter 1

Legends of Darkness

_By: Kim and Raven_

_..._

_Standard Disclaimers Apply; we don't own Ronin Warriors or Bleach. However, the plot and characters of Claudia, Kima and Dorian are ours._

_Chapter 1_

_..._

_Love...a shredded angel heart_

_Cry to the sky all night long_

_Eyes...in this town there's always_

_Sad eyes..._

The darkness of midnight was split in two by the bright lights of the Shinjuku district. But for all the lights in Tokyo, a shadow moved among them. It was seen only as a dark blur to the human eye. The extension of darkness soon slowed and came to a stop. A lone armored figure stood atop of the lower buildings gazing into the open window of an apartment complex. The neon glare illuminated the black and silver plating as the relatively fragile-looking figure removed its helmet, releasing a cascade of white-blonde hair. Her cobalt eyes remained fixed on the window.

A man in his early twenties lay peacefully in his bed, his auburn hair tousled by sleep. His athletically toned chest rose and fell gently. A nostalgic look softened her features. She could recall fighting by his side in years past. Upon making an agreement with Anubis prior to his death, she'd disappeared before their eyes, taking the burden of their armors with her. She really was a true Ronin Warrior now. It was somewhat amusing that she now moved more like a ninja than a samurai. Had she not taken up her duty as soul protector of the planet, their premature romance may have become something. There was no use for regrets now, however. The incessant buzzing of her cell phone interrupted her train of thought quite abruptly before she answered it.

"This is Kima." she muttered. "Ah, Claudia. I was wondering when you'd call. I have information on your brother. Can you be in Japan by tomorrow morning? Great. I'll have a favor to ask. I'll see you then. Oyasumi nasai."

Kima replaced her helmet after twisting up her long ponytail. Leaping over the rooftops, she headed back home in the Juuban district. She'd felt a stirring of the Youjakai over the past few days. It had made her apprehensive and her encounter hadn't made her feel any better. Finally making it to her thirtieth floor apartment, she opened the glass balcony door. Once she'd drawn the drapes, Kima sent her armor away. She didn't even bother to flip on the lights. There she was, the bearer of the Destruction armor, preparing for bed.

Kima lay between her black sheets as she thought back on how her life had changed so drastically since that day four years ago. It had caused her to lose everything and everyone that she had found dear.

_Someday I want to put the smashed moon back together_

_And hang it in the night sky_

_If you try running ahead without thinking_

_You'll find a naked you_

...Flashback...

_ Removing her helmet, the blonde took a deep breath after a hard battle with the youja. Kayura had been giving them all a run for their money ever since the Ronin Warriors had been reawakened and reassembled. As she rested her scythe on her shoulder and prepared to return to her friends, Anubis stopped her. He called her destroyer, his own little pet name for her._

_ "Destroyer, you fought well."_

_ "It's easy to fight well when you're fighting not to die." Kima replied._

_ Anubis studied her a moment longer before speaking. "I've discovered a way for the Ronins to be free of their armor, demo you have a choice to make."_

_ Kima's brow furrowed in confusion. "I have to make a choice?"_

_ "You can choose for the Ronins to keep their armors and bear this burden or you can choose to bear the burden yourself and set them free."_

_ The bearer of the Destruction armor stood silent and frozen. A massive decision was now resting on her shoulders. If she thought of herself, her friends would be angry with her, especially Cye. If she thought of the other Ronins, the planet would be her responsibility. Her choice had been made fairly easily. Her friends were far more important._

_ "What do I have to do, Anubis?"_

_ The newly appointed Ancient nodded. "When the battle with the Youjakai is over, the Ronins will be stripped of their powers. Only you will have the ability to restore them. What you do from then on is your choice."_

_ The happiness she expressed from that moment on was a facade. She knew what her duties would entail. Her friends were more important than her own happiness. They came first._

...End Flashback...

_Your heart's armor isn't warm_

_It's the time! Do the best!_

_On the other side of courage..._

Kima stared up at the ceiling with her arms folded behind her head. She'd become something of a hermit over the years. Her source of income was that she could find the information that others thought impossible to find. The Japanese government had asked for help on several occasions. That was how she'd met the young American woman she'd be picking up at the airport in the morning.

She also thought back on the young man that she watched from afar every night and how close they had been before. It wrenched her heart to know that he could possibly be in love with someone else. They had been close when they'd fought Talpa together. Cye was the most important thing in her life. He was her world even though he didn't know it.

_Love...a shredded angel heart_

_Cry to the sky all night long_

_Eyes...in this town there's always_

_Stardust raining down_

...Flashback...

_ "Kima, what's wrong, love? You don't seem like yourself." the young man in sky blue armor commented._

_ She tried to hide her nervousness from his empathy. "I'm tired of fighting, Cye. I just want to be normal. I want us all to be normal. Then you could actually take me out on a date."_

_ Cye chuckled as the wind tickled his face. "I would love that. I'll make sure to once we beat the Youjakai."_

_ The two shed their armor in favor of their lighter sub-armor. They were going to go their separate ways to begin the journey to return to their armors' individual resting places tomorrow. Something wasn't boding well for either one of them. The Empire of Doom had some secret plan that was waiting to be hatched. Kima focused intently on the ground in front of her before speaking._

_ "I want you to promise me that when we all split up, you won't take on anything you can't handle; especially Sekhmet."_

_ He laughed a little, a bit uncomfortable with the severity of her tone. "I can handle the Warlord of Venom. You don't have to worry about that."_

_ "Onegai, promise me, Cye." Kima begged, a pleading look on her face. "I know that Dais is going to come after me as soon as he's done with Kento."_

_ "Why would he come after you? Kento is his archrival, ne?" Cye asked._

_ "That may be true, demo it's like we have this ongoing vendetta with one another. He'll come after me sooner or later and it will end in a battle." the blonde replied. "I can feel it."_

_ Cye reached over and took her metal-shielded hand in his own. It dampened his spirits to know that Kima had such a pessimistic outlook already. "We're all setting out tomorrow. Promise me that you'll be careful too, Kima."_

...Time Jump: Two Weeks Later...

_ There was a sharp pain in her head and she saw fireworks in the back of her eyelids before there was an acute agony in her left eye. The last thing she remembered before the world went black was the maniacal laughter._

_..._

_ Cye fought his bonds once more, struggling to get free. Since he, Sage, and Kento had been captured by Talpa and the Warlords, they could do nothing but wait for Ryo and Rowen to show up. The opening of the dungeon door caused all three of them to look up suddenly. The Warlord of Illusion had entered with a triumphant look on his face as he came dragging something behind him. The warrior of Hardrock bristled immediately._

_ "Dais! You finally decided to show your ugly face!" Kento shouted. "When I get out of these chains, you're dead meat, konoyaro!"_

_ Dais merely smirked. "I brought you another companion."_

_ He casually lifted an unconscious Kima into the air by her wrist. Her helmet had been lost in some battle. As her head lolled to the side, Cye saw the bright vermillion that covered the left side of her face. An "x" had been carved over her left eye. Sea green fire leaping into his eyes, the warrior of Torrent fought uselessly against his iron bonds._

_ "What have you done?" Cye screamed. "You've killed her."_

_ "Don't be stupid, Torrent. Talpa-sama would obliterate me if Destruction was dead. She's just got a new addition to that pretty face of hers." Dais said smoothly as he was locking Kima into place by her wrists. "She put up a good fight. It was a glorious battle all the way to the end. She won't be using this again for a while." he commented, showing them her splintered scythe before tossing it over his shoulder carelessly. "If she's lucky, I didn't cut deep enough to blind her. At least I believe I didn't."_

_ Cye slumped in a tired manner as Dais left them. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kima's head sunk forward. The blood dripping from her jaw echoed somewhere in the depths of the abyss far below._

_ "Sage, is there anything you can do?" he pleaded._

_ The blonde warrior of Halo shook his head. "Without sunlight and my No-datchi, there's no way I can help Kima. Gomen ne."_

_ A soft groaning caught their attention. Kima's right eye fluttered open as she gazed about her. An enraged cry filled the air as she pounded her body against her prison._

_ "Kima..."_

_ She cut Cye off with her cries. "Shimatta! He tricked me, konoyaro! Dais! Fight a fair battle and I'd win!"_

_ "Kima, onegai. You're making your wounds worse. Yameru kudasai. Onegai desu!" Cye begged._

_ "That bastard Dais took my eye!" Kima screamed, attempting to get some footing to pull free from her chains. "I won't know for sure until it heals some."_

_ The grating of her armor against the stone sounded, sending its shriek barreling into the cavernous chamber. Sensing Cye's distress, Sage attempted to intervene. "Yameru, Kima. Kima, yameru! You're only going to hurt yourself more!"_

_ The female Ronin finally lost strength or gave up, sighing heavily. She finally succumbed to her pain and fell into heartbreaking sobs. This was it. Their only way of escape now was Ryo and Rowen._

_ "It'll be okay, love." Cye said, his voice strained. "There's still hope. Ryo and Rowen are still out there. They'll save us, Kima, I promise."_

...End Flashback...

_You can't just sit and cry in your room at night_

_The glass generation_

_I can't do it alone, but with you, I'll be okay_

_This meeting is calling me_

Kima subconsciously rubbed the scar over her left eye. Luckily she'd retained her sight. Dais's mourning star had left behind a nasty scar that would remind her until the end of time of the pain that she and her friends had gone through. Now the struggle was beginning all over again. Two nights ago she'd encountered a squad of youja during her patrol. Something was on the brink of emerging from the darkness and she had no leads.

Sighing, the blonde left her bed and retreated to the balcony. The information she had for Claudia Preston would direct her to the Ronins. She'd planned it that way purposely. From what she knew of the American, she was something of a photographer, so she would direct her to the most picturesque city in Japan; Toyama. That's where Cye and the others had been meeting for years just before the blooming of the sakuras. When she arrived in a few hours, she'd have a favor to ask. There was a certain ex-warrior of Torrent whom she wanted to check up on.

_Your heart is a soldier, hiding its tenderness_

_It's the time! Do the best!_

_To the other side of tomorrow..._

...

_The stardust in your heart wants to shine_

_It's the time! Do the best!_

_Collecting love..._

The mindless chaos of the airport was giving her a headache. The ear-splitting decibel level of all the garbled voices was infuriating. The swarm of people moving around in masses had no idea that they were in danger. It was only a matter of time. Her chances of preventing another wave of destruction were now slim. The gates of the Empire of Doom were practically visible. She slowly made her way toward the loading dock.

A brunette who was clearly not Japanese was looking around apprehensively. The young woman clutched her baggage in a protective manner as her eyes roved through the crowd. The blonde swept her waist-length hair over her shoulder and approached. Picking up one of the girl's bags, she extended her hand, speaking with a thick Japanese accent.

"You must be Claudia. I'm Nanao Kurosaki."

_Love...a shredded angel heart_

_Cry to the sky all night long_

_Eyes...in this town there's always_

_Stardust raining down_

...

End Chapter

...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

...

"Claudia, where are you?"

"I'm fine, mom. I'm in Seattle,"

"Seattle? What for?"

"I needed to get out of Rome for a while, that's all," Claudia's dark brown eyes scanned the crowd of people around her while she spoke to her mother on a long distance call from Italy. "Look, you and daddy just enjoy your project. I'm fine,"

"You're going to try to find Dorian, aren't you?"

"Mom, I have to go. I love you," Claudia closed her phone with a snap, staring at the blank screen for a moment before looking around and stuffing the phone in her back pocket. She grabbed her bag and headed back into the crowd, blending in seamlessly. Three days ago, the Federal Government and the Japanese authorities had announced that the case of her brother's mysterious disappearance was closing because no evidence could be found as to his whereabouts. There had been several hundred reports from several hundred people of strange happenings in Toyama the same day Dorian had vanished; Cars going dead all at the same time, a freak storm and a strange manifestation of an ancient castle appearing in the clouds.

Her only clue was the Toyama School of Archaeology where her brother had been in an internship before disappearing.

After a year had gone by with no word, her parents had given up and moved on with their lives, leaving Claudia alone to keep hope alive. Her brother wasn't dead. She knew that in her heart.

He couldn't be dead. There was too much unfinished business between them. Dorian simply wasn't allowed to cheat his way out of that by dying, or disappearing.

After an hour of walking around aimlessly in the mall, Claudia found herself standing in front of various restaurants, choosing a seat at the far end of the strip at a small café and deli. As she sat down to eat her chosen sandwich, her cell phone began buzzing obnoxiously in her back pocket.

"Hello?" She didn't recognize the number.

"I understand you're looking for your brother," The voice was obviously being distorted by some kind of voice disguising device, making it impossible to discern who might own the original voice.

Claudia blinked in surprise, her hand freezing over the sandwich in her plate while her eyes immediately darted around her. Was she being watched?

"Who is this?"

"My name is Kima Hagashi, and I have information that you need,"

"What information? How did you get it?" Claudia turned in her seat, searching the hundreds of faces everywhere for someone else who might be using a phone and watching her. Everyone had a phone and all of them looked suspicious.

"Good, I've gotten your attention," There was a long pause and then finally, "I'll be in touch,"

...

A week later, Claudia was lounging back in her bed at the hotel, staring at the one way, first class plane ticket that had been shoved under her door and the caller ID screen on her phone, debating as to whether or not she should bother returning the missed call she had received while she had been in the shower. The voice mail had been short and sweet.

_"I know you're looking for your brother and I have vital information that may lead to his location. I am currently investigating a group that was directly involved with the Toyama mystery several years ago. If you're interested, you have my number,"_

Claudia sighed quietly before hitting the call button and lifting the phone up to her ear.

"This is Kima."

"One way, first class?"

"Ah, Claudia. I was wondering when you'd call. I have information on your brother. Can you be in Japan by tomorrow morning?"

"Apparently so. My flight leaves at noon today,"

"Great. I'll have a favor to ask. I'll see you then. Oyasumi nasai."

"Yeah," Claudia muttered as the line went dead and she slammed her phone closed, her chocolate brown eyes alight with suspicion. Her intention had been to get to Japan the entire time. The only reason she had hesitated was because she wasn't sure what she'd find. She'd been waiting for a sign, and now she had it.

The only real question now; would it be worth it?

...

_"Dorian, you can't go!"_

_ "Claudia, I'm not having this fight with you right now. Look, mom and dad are smothering the hell out of me and you know this internship is the only way for me to get away from that."_

_ "Well why can't you do it somewhere close?" Claudia reached out and wrapped her fingers around the handle of the case enclosing his laptop. Dorian growled, yanking it back from her._

_ "The farther from them I am, the better off I'll be,"_

_ "But Japan?"_

_ "It's cheaper and I'll actually be surrounded by people who share a common interest. Look, you and I both know that I've got no future in the same field mom and dad are in. My interests are elsewhere. Besides, I love Japan," Dorian, his dark brown eyes saddening, reached out and touched his younger sister on the shoulder. "It's only for a year and then I'll be back. Believe me, it'll be over before you know it,"_

_ "So that's it then? You're leaving me behind for your own selfish reasons,"_

_ "Claudia, you don't need me here,"_

_ "Yes, I do!"_

_ "Claudia, look, you're grown up now. Do what I did. Put your foot down. Get out of here. If you stay, it'll kill you."_

_ "Can't I come with you?"_

_ "You've got to find your way on your own. I'm interested in ancient legends and history and you've got your eye glued to a view finder. Go places, take your camera and take some incredible shots."_

_ "You sound like Aunt Meg,"_

_ "Aunt Meg was the one person in this family who had some sense. She took better care of us than mom and dad, so maybe taking her advice, no matter who it comes from, would be wise. Look, I've got to go or I'll miss my flight,"_

_ "Dorian-"_

_ "Good bye, Claudia."_

_..._

Thirty thousand feet up and she still couldn't clear her head or think things through. Of course, the looks she kept getting from the two Japanese men sitting in the two seats to her left weren't helping her situation.

She must have been wearing a sign that screamed, "I'm an American bimbo and I'm super easy" because they looked hungry in a way that didn't require food.

And they were old. Very old.

Believe it or not, that wasn't even the worst part. Sometimes she loved that most of those perverted old Japanese businessmen assumed that most any American girl that went to Japan for vacation couldn't understand the language. It usually gave her the element of surprise when it came to the rude things that were said that absolutely infuriated her, but she was thirty thousand feet above the open ocean and she was surrounded by at least twenty old businessmen, two females who were sleeping and maybe one other American man. There was one flight attendant but she was currently flirting with someone towards the back of the first class cabin and probably wouldn't be paying much attention.

Sighing quietly, Claudia reached for the headphones stuffed into her bag, turned up the volume on her mp3 player and closed her eyes.

She never wanted to fly first class again.

...

The rain was falling in sheets so thick that anything beyond five feet could barely be seen. Even the lights of the cars slowly moving along the slick, wet streets were faint in the darkness.

Street lamps flickered overhead along the sidewalks each time the lightning struck too close. Thunder rolled ominously in the skies, effectively covering up any other sounds around them.

Rowen Hashiba adjusted the collar of his white button-up shirt and frowned from where he stood under the awning of his favorite sushi bar.

He'd only been back in Japan for a day, in Toyama for only a little over two hours, and already his mood was set. It had been such a gorgeous day when he'd arrived, that it was depressing to see it change so quickly.

Still, from the conversations he could hear around him at the bar, the rain was greatly needed.

Rowen glanced around for a moment before leaning back against the bar and waiting for the rain to clear up. He'd be late to Mia's little get-together, but he doubted anyone would mind considering the weather.

A bolt of lightning nearby illuminated the sky and reflected along the windows of the huge buildings that dominated the downtown metropolitan area.

A shadow crossed over the panes of reflective glass, making Rowen momentarily freeze up. Seven years may have passed since that final battle between the Ronin Warriors and Talpa of the Dynasty, but the memories were still vivid in his mind.

He could remember almost every detail about the happenings of that long venture. Every horrifying detail was engraved permanently in his mind's eye.

As the light faded, so did the shadow, and Rowen allowed himself to relax.

Seven years. It seemed like just yesterday he had met up with Ryo and the rest of his friends, fighting their first ever battle against the Dynasty in the middle of the street. Back then, they were a little over confident in their ability to fight, and they hadn't all gotten along very well. But as time had gone on, their hearts and minds had united and they'd become a force to be reckoned with.

Rowen found himself smiling as he stared out into the storm, visualizing that day in his mind. It made him almost nostalgic.

It was on this very road that they had had their very first encounter with the dark warlord, Anubis. The sick battle cry of "quake with fear" was still ringing in his ears. He remembered the pain he experienced the first time he'd felt the power of that kusari-gama, his first taste of Sekhmet's venom, the nightmare's from Dais' horrifying illusions and Cale's cruel dark powers.

Rowen could even remember when Talpa had separated them all, sending them to the very elements that had created them. Bits and pieces of his time spent unconscious and floating in a bubble of his armor's power among the stars was remembered.

Seven years? No, maybe seven days.

Rowen sighed heavily, reaching up and running a hand through his unruly blue hair, his eyes closing against the visions of the past. After everything that had happened, he needed to let it all go.

"Floating amongst the eyes of ages, unmoored in the stream of the sky," The British voice reflecting that verse of the legend drew Rowen's attention from the sky to the man approaching him. "After all of this time, you've still got your head in the clouds,"

"Cye!" Rowen pushed away from the bar, moving to hug his long time friend tightly. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"Where else would you be?" Cye gave Rowen a boyish grin before grabbing a seat at the bar and ordering a round of sushi rolls. "Found myself here a few days ago as a matter of fact. Nobu's still got the best sushi in town."

Rowen chuckled, resting his arms on the bar while they waited for their food. "Too true. So, how are the others?"

"They're fine, I guess. I haven't actually met up with them yet. I've spent the last couple of days working double shifts to justify this vacation. How's life at the University in Australia, Professor Hashiba?"

"Eh, it's alright. I've been a little bored since graduation, but I guess it'll all pan out. I do get to travel a lot, so, I guess it has its perks," Rowen shrugged a bit, taking a sip of his tea. "To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I like having such a settled life. There's no excitement,"

"We're all a bit restless these days," Cye admitted quietly. "Go out and get yourself a girl! I guarantee some excitement there!"

Rowen roared in laughter, shaking his head before burying it in his hands. "Had a little too much excitement recently in that field, Cye?"

"A little bit," Cye admitted, his cheeks reddening a little. "I heard you had a run-in with a snake a couple of months ago. You alright?"

"Spent a few days in the hospital, but I came through it fine. Scared the hell out of me, too! I still haven't figured out how it even got into the apartment. We were all really careful with that kind of thing, but then again, I guess you can never be too careful. It stung like a bitch for a while, but now it's all gone,"

"Brought up some bad memories, though, didn't it?"

Rowen nodded, his eyes darkening a little. "When the venom set in, I got a little delirious. I could swear I heard Sekhmet in the background, laughing and taunting me. If my roommate hadn't walked in when he did, I'd probably be dead,"

"That's scary stuff, mate," Cye studied his friend carefully for a moment before looking down at his food. "What happened to the snake?"

"No idea. Roommate wouldn't tell me what he did with it. I know he got rid of it though."

"Well, that's good," Cye clapped his hands and reached for his chopsticks. "Eat up, Rowen!"

...

Claudia growled as she yanked her two bags off of the luggage line and looked around. The airport was ridiculously packed, mainly because of the storm raging on outside. There was barely enough room to move, but she made her away out of the main crowd and moved towards the waiting area, her bags clutched tight in her hands until she found a spot where she could sit them down for a moment.

A few seconds later, Claudia turned to watch a lithe young woman, with a very strong build, come towards her and take one of her bags.

"You must be Claudia. I'm Nanao Hondo."

"Nanao? Where is Kima?"

"Master Kima was called away on a very important investigation. He asked me to pick you up and escort you to your apartment."

Claudia studied the woman suspiciously for a moment before nodding.

"Lead the way then,"

...

End Chapter


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A.N.-Listening to "Das Omen" as I'm writing the nightmare sequence-Kim

...Dream...

_ The streets were dark and deserted; something very strange for the city of Toyama on a midsummer night. He dared to walk further into the city against his better judgment. As he came to the four-way junction of Main Street, an eerily familiar mist materialized before his eyes. The red glow of thousands of pairs of eyes glared at him, completely surrounding him. The miasma of negative energy was enough to take his breath. That was the moment his savior appeared._

_ The figure emerged from the fog in a ghostly manner, joining him in the center of the ring of youja. As he examined the warrior, he recognized the person, yet he didn't. The black and silver color of the armor was familiar, but the shape of the armor itself was alien to him. The strangest detail was that the warrior didn't seem to notice him._

_ With no spoken word, the warrior flew into the horde of youja brandishing a pair of sickles. Haunting screams of the slain youja rose into the air, accompanied closely by the sound of steel meeting steel. The bright vermillion sprayed down and covered the street, soaking his clothes and hair. He gasped as a decapitated head rolled to a stop against his foot. The warrior reemerged, blood sliding down its armor. It turned its head toward him slightly. A pair of cobalt eyes shifted to look at him, the face hidden by the helmet's faceplate._

_ "Get away, Cye. Get out of here."_

_ Female. He knew that voice. "Kima? Kima! Where have you—"_

_ "Go!"_

_ With a moment's hesitation, Cye turned on heel and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He had no particular direction in mind, unconsciously heading toward the city's shopping district. Spotting a broken front window, the auburn-haired man scrambled through the broken glass and dashed behind the counter toward the back of the store. _

_ Crouching down with his back against the counter, Cye breathed heavily in an attempt to regain his composure. Where had all these youja come from? There could easily have been hundreds of them. And Kima; where had she been that she could so suddenly show up? Why was she still able to call her armor? Why were her armor and her weapons different? He didn't have much time to ponder these things, for when he looked up at the glass-doored cabinets across from him, the reflection of the red eyes of three or four youja met his gaze. Cye watched their movements carefully in the glass. He heard the cracking and splintering of wood as he'd rolled out of the way to dodge the swing of a spear as it broke the thick counter in half. If he'd have been a second or two later, he would've been sliced in half as well._

_ Cye knew that he had to get out of the confined shop. The youja were quickly following him as he decided to throw caution into the wind and dive back through the broken window. Shards of broken glass stuck in his hair and clothes, one particularly large piece slicing his cheek. Feeling the blood snaking on his skin, Cye quickly rose to his feet, becoming painfully aware of the growing number of youja in the street. The blonde warrior of Destruction was nowhere to be found. There was only one thing; one option that he had left to try. Performing a front flip, he was covered in his blue and white sub armor. The sub armor had always come when it was summoned. Now was the real test._

_ "Buso! Suiko!"_

_ Nothing happened. Cye stood looking around him, trying once again. "Come on." he muttered._

_ When nothing continued to happen, he realized that he had a bigger advantage now. Even with just the sub armor, his strength and agility were increased. There were now ten youja that had been drawn to him. Cye punched the one closest to him, smashing its faceplate and causing an acrid smoke to rise from the armor. The second received a kick to the gut. The others were disposed of in much the same manner, except for the last one. Leaping into the air, he laid a firm kick with both feet to the spine of the final youja. He'd watched Rowen do it so many times, it was easy enough to pick up. The auburn-haired man turned around and just as he was about to be struck down by the sword of an undetected youja, the curved blade of a sickle sliced it in half at the waist. A hissing spew of dark smoke escaped. _

_ The two stood before one another, not saying anything. Kima's armor was drenched in blood, though it wasn't normal for the youja to bleed. When she continued to stand in front of him and say nothing, Cye decided that he would speak first. _

_ "Arigatou gozaimasu, Kima. I don't know what to say. You saved my skin back there."_

_ "Doshimashitei."_

_ When she said nothing more than you're welcome, Cye decided to try again. "I don't understand, Kima. Why does your armor still work and mine doesn't? Why does it look like that? Where's your scythe?"_

_ The faceplate of her helmet slid away as she removed the piece of armor to speak a little better. Cye held his breath. She'd gone from the teenage girl he knew to the woman she was now; and a beautiful woman at that. She looked the same as he remembered her. "I can't tell you, Cye." she said, holding out her hands for him to see. She held both of her sickles with her left hand. The blades of the weapons were completely a deep vermillion that fell to the ground in thick, heavy droplets. Her right hand was dripping with the same colored substance. "My hands and my blades are covered with enough blood, Cye. You and the other Ronins are done. I must take on this duty now."_

_ Without another word, she turned and began walking away from him into this mist with her helmet under her arm. Cye called after her time and time again, but there was no answer. Instead, there was a familiar snickering behind him, a flash of green hair and a super attack that he knew all too well._

_ "Snake Fang Strike!"_

...

Cye and Rowen made their way from Nobu's to the bus station in the pouring rain. It had been seven years since they'd started meeting in Toyama once a year. Ever since the war with Talpa and the Empire of Doom was over, the Ronins, now retired, would meet with their civilian friends, Mia and Yulie, for a month or so every year at the beginning of summer.

The events that had taken place seven years ago remained as fresh as though they'd happened yesterday. The fighting had left scars on all of their hearts. He was just glad it was over. As current head animal trainer at the Tokyo Aquarium, Cye enjoyed what he did. He'd always been drawn to the water and its aquatic life. It was his dream job. He and Rowen had fallen into a comfortable silence on their way down the street. The advice for Rowen to get himself a girl had been sincere. He'd tried to move on several times, his most recent attempt being the assistant head trainer at the aquarium that he worked at. Suki was a lovely girl, but she just wasn't...wasn't Kima. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the trip to Mia's lake house and what awaited them. The others would all be there. Kento had taken time off from his Uncle Chen's restaurant in New York to fly home and visit. His best friend was working as a waiter part-time when he wasn't running his own martial arts school. Sage had taken up the duty of being CEO of his father's company, dealing mainly with swords and other artifacts dating from the Meiji Era and earlier. It would figure that the youngest child of the Date clan would be interested in all things samurai. Ryo, on the other hand, was quite secretive. They knew that he was in law school in Japan, but he wouldn't reveal where. It was as if he were trying to keep his relationship with Mia a secret. In truth, it wasn't so secret at all. Even after seven years, Ryo was still trying to keep justice in his own way. It would be great to see them all again.

The bus pulled up to the sidewalk, causing Cye to smile as he looked at his blue-haired companion. "Well, mate, are you ready to go?"

Rowen grinned back at him. "As ready as I'll ever be. Kento still owes me a match. He cheated the last time!"

Cye shook his head. The ongoing battle between Rowen and Kento at Street Fighter was a constant thing. The battle would often continue up until the next year's visit. As the two boarded the bus, a tension suddenly came over the former warrior of Torrent, causing him to be slightly apprehensive. Now came the awkward question that had to be asked every year, though Cye already knew the answer no matter how much he wanted it to be different. His friends would humor him every year and answer this same question.

"Rowen?" Cye asked in a weak tone. "You haven't, by chance, heard from Kima, have you?"

The young man with electric blue hair sighed as he carefully worded his answer. He didn't want to be cruel, but he'd known it was coming. "No, Cye. I haven't heard a word from her. I don't know where she could be. Kima's tough though, so I know she's alright. Gomen ne."

The auburn-haired man nodded as though he'd been half listening, saying nothing else throughout the rest of the trip.

...

Mia was there at the bottom of the mountain in her red jeep to pick them up. Cye was in much better spirits upon seeing their old friend. Stepping down from the bus with his duffle bag slung over his arm, he waved as he made his way over to the jeep.

"Mia! How've you been, love? A year is too long between visits!"

"Oh Cye!" the brunette cried as she leapt down from the driver's seat and hugged him. "I know it's been too long. How are you, Rowen?"

"I've been fine. Studying hard down under. It feels like another planet down there!"

The legends and myths professor giggled. "I'm sure it is. Tanzania was one thing, but Australia? Come on, the guys are waiting at the house already."

The two quickly packed their bags in the jeep and hopped in. The ride was relatively short and was over as soon as it had started. A familiar white tiger was waiting for them on the porch, giving a roar of greeting as he rose to his feet. Cye chuckled as he patted the massive jungle cat on the head. "I've missed you too, Buyakuen. I'm guessing Ryo's already in the house?"

Not waiting for an answer, the trio passed through the door and into the living room. Kento, Ryo and Sage were scattered on the sofa watching something that was currently on television. When Kento looked up to investigate the noise, his gray eyes brightened as he leapt to his feet and moved toward his best friend. "Cye! How have you been, buddy? You're as athletic and aquatic as ever."

"I've been great, mate." the ex-warrior of Torrent replied, receiving the hug that Kento had given him. "How's life in the Big Apple?"

Kento shrugged. "It's the same as ever. Uncle Chen's place stays busy and I've had to cut my hours back there for all the new students I've got at the dojo."

"That's wonderful, Kento. How's business, Sage? The trade treating you well?"

The blonde released Rowen's hand, which he'd just been shaking, and smiled. "It's actually been going pretty well. There's been a recent interest in the period of the Bakumatsu, you know, the warring states period before Westernization lately. It's a bit strange, actually."

Cye chuckled. "So swords and weapons have become popular?"

"I guess so." Sage replied. "Especially the sakubato, the kodatchi, and the zanbato."

Ryo rose to his feet to join the other four. He grabbed the auburn-haired man's hand and shook it. "How's the job at the aquarium, Cye? Things going okay with Suki?"

The water-loving warrior rubbed the back of his head. "We're not together anymore, mate. With work and all, it was just a little weird. How's life at law school?"

"It's great! I'll be taking my bar exam this time next year, so I might be a little late for our annual get together." the warrior of Wildfire replied.

Before Cye could comment, Kento made his own entrance...and a challenge. "Okay, Rowen. Now we see who the champion is this year. Ryu or Chun Li. I'm going to kick your little boy blue ass."

An aggressive gleam entered Rowen's eyes as he rubbed his hands together. "Oh you think you're going to win? I kicked your ass last year, Kento. I'll beat you again!"

"Oh here we go." Sage muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You kicked my ass? No, my dear Strata, I believe I kicked your ass."

Cye shook his head as he followed Mia into the kitchen. She sat down at the table and merely pointed at the cabinets. She knew what he'd be looking for. Automatically, Cye pulled out the pots and pans under the sink and began to gather the ingredients he needed. He knew that the brunette was watching him, but said nothing. She'd probably noticed a difference in his attitude. The dream he'd had several nights ago didn't help anything. "So where's Yulie? I haven't seen him here yet."

"He won't be arriving until Thursday." Mia informed him. "He's got two more days of soccer camp."

He nodded. The fifteen-year-old had gotten quite tall since their Ronin days and he didn't call them "nii-chan" anymore, though he still called Mia "onee-chan." Mia was about to ask him what was really the matter, when a head of ash-colored hair popped through the door. "Is that food I smell?"

Cye laughed. "Why yes, Kento it is. I should've known that you'd be in here before too long."

Kento merely grinned as he made his way to a chair next to Mia. The others joined them shortly. Cye smiled as he turned back around to the frying pan. That's when he saw it; A red glare in the window. Such an insignificant thing caused him to jump and drop the spatula on the floor. Sage noticed this action and focused his attention on him. Cye could feel his gray eyes boring a hole in his back.

"Cye, what's the matter?"

The auburn-haired man took a deep breath before replying. "Nothing, mate. Just ghosts, I guess. It's really nothing."

Sage frowned. "You're lying."

Cye continued to cook as the whole room had gone silent. "Well, you see, I had this dream a few nights ago..."

...

The spacious apartment, which was decorated primarily in black, was brightly lit by the sun streaming through the large glass panels. Nothing stood out in particular except a painting that hung on the wall; the only source of color. There were six kanji symbols that could be translated as righteousness, grace, wisdom, justice, trust, and power. Four other kanji were burned into the corners of the black wooden frame; Loyalty, filial piety, serenity, and obedience.

As Claudia left her luggage by the door, she made her way to a black leather sofa and had a seat. Nanao brought her a bottle of water before producing a folder and presenting it to her. "This is the information we have already. We're in the process of finding more."

"How did you get this information on Dorian?" Claudia asked, suspicious. "Everything else has turned up blank."

Nanao looked up from her computer screen momentarily. "We have our ways. If you'll look inside, the names of the group members that were mentioned to you that were involved in the incident seven years ago are all listed and can be found in the city of Toyama."

The brunette flipped through the pages. She came to the individual photographs of five young men that appeared to have been taken by some sort of private investigator; no doubt Nanao or Kima. A blonde, Sage Date, was the current CEO of some business or other and had been fifteen years old at the time. Ryo Sanada; fifteen. Kento Rei Faun; fifteen. Cye Mouri; sixteen. Rowen Hashiba; fifteen. They were all barely teenagers at the time. Why were their martial arts schools mentioned? The report also vaguely mentioned Wildfire, Halo, Hardrock, Torrent, and Strata. Claudia looked up at Nanao with a quirked eyebrow.

"Miss Kurosaki, what does all of this mean? When will I get to meet with Kima?"

Nanao rose from her seat and began to pace the white carpet in front of her. "The incident seven years ago was a supernatural event; one in which the Netherworld tried to merge with our world. The five young men in the photographs were the ones who stopped this from happening; a group called the Ronin Warriors. They fought a war against Talpa, the Emperor of Doom."

Claudia was silent for a moment before her face twisted in anger. "How do you expect me to believe a fairy tale like this? How do you know all of this? I want to talk to Kima! If I don't get some answers, I'm going to be angry. Trust me, you won't like me when I'm angry."

The blonde turned to face her, wiping a cloth over her left eye. When the cloth was removed, a large scar was revealed. Claudia swallowed hard, blinking, waiting for an answer. "I know because I was there. And as for when you'll speak to Kima, you already are. I am Kima Hagashi." she responded, bowing in the customary Japanese fashion.

...

End Chapter


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

...

Claudia stared at the bowing woman with nothing short of disgust and fury. She stood up quite suddenly, slamming the folder onto the glass coffee table so hard that it shook on its legs.

"If you were trying to gain my trust, you've done a really shitty job of it!" Claudia moved for the door, grabbing her bag. "You're crazy,"

"Can't you just hear me out?" Kima asked, glaring at her. "Claudia, you'll never know the truth about your brother if you walk out of that door without at least listening to what I have to say!"

Claudia growled, letting her duffle drop back onto the ground as she turned around and walked back to Kima, getting straight into her face.

"What do you want from me?"

"I need your help. And you need mine. Believe me, we can benefit greatly from each other's help. The information that I've given you is just the start. I can easily get the rest, it's just going to take time. Time in which I need you to spy on this group and gather information for me." Kima paused, sighing quietly. "I know you doubt me, but this group is your best chance of finding your brother. They were there. They stopped the world from ending. Believe me. They are the best chance you have of finding him,"

Claudia glared at her intensely for a moment before relenting, moving slowly back towards the coffee table and lifting the folder off of it. "I need more details than this,"

...

"I know it isn't much, but I'm on a bit of a budget,"

Claudia stepped into the spacious studio apartment and set her bags on one of the overstuffed chairs in the center of the room.

"It's fine. I don't exactly need too much space. I'm used to it considering all of the traveling I've done in my life. Honestly, I expected a shabby little hotel with futon beds."

"I thought about that, but figured you'd be more comfortable with a real bed." Kima stepped further into the room. "Now, I don't really have anything for you right now. I don't think the Ronins will be out in the open again until Thursday. They have to pick up one last person in their group and I imagine they'll make a day of it. Until then, do as you wish, but try to keep a low profile. Have you been to Japan before?"

"A couple of times," Claudia murmured as she examined the room.

"Good, then you know a little of the layout. Now, you're right near the shopping district so there's plenty to eat and to do. Here's a phone I got for you. I'm the number 7 speed dial if you need me. I'll be in touch in a couple of days with my first assignment for you. Until then…" Kima shrugged a little before turning and leaving, closing the door softly behind her.

Groaning, Claudia reached for her laptop and set it down on the small desk near the window, pulling it up and shuffling through the manila folder Kima had provided to her with all of the information on the Ronin Warriors.

She researched everything she could find in regards to the legend of the Ronin Warriors and the Empire of Doom, and by the time the sun had set, she was convinced.

Claudia recognized some of the legend and knew Kima had to be telling the truth. The Dynasty legend was what her brother had come here to study.

So that was the connection. Dorian had been taken by the Dynasty seven years ago when it had first attacked. But from what she found in the file and from what Kima had told her, everyone taken from the city had been returned. So where was Dorian?

"Where are you, Dorian? Why didn't you come back?" Claudia sat back in her chair and stared out through her window, watching the streets below crowd with night shoppers and club goers. She needed a distraction to take her mind off of all of the troubling details of her stay in Toyama.

With a groan, Claudia got out of her chair, went to her duffle and pulled out a short black skirt, a crimson red halter top and a pair of red stiletto heels, her mind set on going to a club to drown her problems in alcohol and dancing.

And maybe a little male attention.

...

Rowen yawned deeply, lifting his hands behind his head while he stared up at the darkened ceiling of the bedroom he shared with Kento, the music playing in his ears barely drowning out the obnoxious snoring of one Kento Rei Faun.

Normally, even with Kento's high volume, he'd be asleep right now, but he couldn't get the nightmare Cye had told them all about out of his head.

Did it mean something? Was it simply a nightmare? Seven years had passed without a hitch, but that didn't mean it couldn't change with a roll of thunder.

Sighing quietly, Rowen rolled onto his side and watched the shadows moving on the balcony. Ryo and White Blaze.

He got up quietly, moving for the doors that lead to the upper balcony and stepped into the cool night air.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No," Ryo admitted, leaning back in the patio chair and kicking his feet up onto the railing. "Are you thinking about what Cye told us, too?"

"Yeah," For a moment, Rowen just stared up at the stars before he turned, leaned back against the rail and stared right at Ryo. "What do you think?"

"I think it could have just been a nightmare. But at the same time, we can't be too careless about it. It's been quiet for the last seven years, but you know as well as I do that even though Talpa was defeated, it doesn't mean there aren't more dark beings in the Nether world just waiting to get a foothold. The fact that Cye described a completely different armor for Kima in specific detail is a little troubling. Not to mention that none of us have been able to call on our armors since that last battle. I've tried to and I know you have."

"Yeah, but I can't get any further than my sub armor, and sometimes, not even that." Rowen shrugged his shoulders, reaching up to smooth out his bedraggled blue hair. "Yes, I've tried, too. Every now and then I'll practice with a bow just to keep my skills honed. The martial arts practice helps, too, but I can't always call my sub armor to myself."

"It's fading," Ryo murmured. "With every day that passes, what we had fades away." He closed his dark eyes, lowering his head and shaking it. "I'd like to think this means we'll never need them again, but after what Cye told us, I'm starting to think it was taken from us to spare us from having to use them again,"

"Kima can't do it on her own. Destroyer or not, she can't handle the whole Dynasty by herself." Rowen grumbled. "It was hard enough with all of us, but with just one of us? I can't see that being easy for her. I wonder where she is right now."

"I'm sure if something happens, we'll see her again," Ryo shrugged, finally letting loose a yawn that made his eyes water. "Alright, White Blaze. Let's get to bed. Tomorrow will probably be eventful. You should try and sleep, too, Rowen,"

...

Claudia growled, brushing off an over eager teenager as she approached the bar, leaning over it and glowering at the wet counter top.

"I said male attention, not boy attention," She muttered under her breath as a shoulder brushed hers…and didn't leave.

"Look, pal-"

"A Sex on the Beach for the lady,"

Claudia paused in her rant and turned to lean back against the bar and give the blond haired man a sexy little smirk. "Raj? I knew I felt a spider crawling up my leg on that dance floor. Well? Give me a hug, you big jerk!"

The white haired man grinned and pulled her against his chest briefly before pulling back and sliding her newly made drink towards her.

"What brings you to Toyama, Claudia?" He tucked some of the long blond locks of hair behind his left ear, revealing the black eye patch that made him so sexy.

"Oh, you know, the usual crap. Parents are screwing around in Italy, Claudia gets stuck at home, bored off her ass. Among a lot of other things," Claudia said casually as she took a seat and started sipping on her drink. "Did you miss me?"

Raj smirked, nodding. "Just a bit."

"I bet you did,"

"So, shall we leave?"

"Thought you'd never ask,"

...

Normally, he'd ask what had brought her back here, but he could tell by the faraway look in her eyes and her stiff legged movements that she wasn't here for fun. It was something serious and she craved a distraction.

Dais poured their drinks, watching her carefully as she moved around the small living room, bending down a little to admire the giant tarantula prowling around the large tank at the far wall.

"I never could figure out your fascination with spiders," She shuddered a little. "They creep me out. Then again, so do you on occasion, so I guess it's ok. That drink ready yet?"

There it was; the impatience just before the blowout. The distraction wasn't enough. Something was bothering her on a level that only one person in her life could ever reach.

Dorian.

"Claudia," Dais moved around the bar, forgetting the drinks for the moment. Once he reached her and had his hands on her arms, standing strong behind her, the tension in her body eased out.

"I don't know what I'm doing here, Raj. Every time I think I'm getting answers, I realize that all I'm being handed are pieces to a puzzle I can't even begin to imagine or understand," She growled, jerking away from him to pace. "What am I doing here?"

"How many pieces of the puzzle did you get this time?"

"Five."

"What were they?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you,"

"Try me,"

Claudia tilted her head and looked at him. Just looked at him. He smiled a little, nodding his head as he moved back to the bar and grabbed their drinks.

"Drink with me, Claudia. Relax. Let it all go for a little while. That's why you came looking for me, isn't it?"

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I could tell myself all night that I wasn't looking for you when I walked down that strip and started club hopping, but it would be a lie."

"I know,"

"Well, shit, as long as you know…"

...

The smell of eggs cooking finally drew Claudia out of the bed and down the short hallway to the living room, then around the corner to the kitchen. She was barely dressed, wearing only one of his white collared shirts that covered up just enough of her to keep her decent. She moved quietly, sleepily, until her bare feet touched cold tile and her arms snaked around a naked waist.

"Mmm, I don't know what it is about you, but I always have the most amazing dreams when you're around,"

Dais' lips twitched for a moment while he scrambled the eggs in the skillet in front of him, trying as hard as he could not to smirk. If she only knew…

"So," Claudia turned and plopped down into one of the chairs at the shabby old kitchen table and gave him a silly little smile. "Still interested to know about those five puzzle pieces that- ugh, hold on." Claudia got up and moved towards the couch, digging through her handbag for the phone buzzing away inside of it.

"Damn…" She muttered as she connected the call. "Hello?"

"I have more information for you. I need you to come back to my apartment, please,"

Claudia sighed quietly. "I'll be there shortly," Closing the phone, she looked up at Dais and frowned a little. "Guess it's time for another piece of the puzzle."

"You're here 'working' then?"

"I guess so," Claudia rose, gathering her clothes from the pile on the floor.

"Do you know where you're going when you leave here?"

She paused, grunting. "Shit…I wasn't paying attention when we left the club,"

"I'll walk you,"

An hour later as the two walked down the crowded streets of Toyama, Claudia found herself dreading the meeting she was about to have with Kima. Was what she was having to do even worth the rumored reward? What if her parents were right and Dorian was dead and all this entire adventure lead to was nothing but his grave or worse, his body?

"If you want your answers, Claudia, then wait it out." Dais stopped walking and looked up at the building they'd just arrived at. "This is it, I think?"

"Hell," Claudia muttered, frowning. "It is. Raj…do you think it's worth it?"

"That's for you to decide. If you need me,"

"I know how to find you," Claudia nodded with a chuckle, touched his shoulder, then headed inside of the building and then into the elevator. Raj was right; whether or not what she was doing was worth the result that was to come was entirely up to her. He couldn't tell her what to think about it.

She sighed quietly, hooking her long dark hair behind her ears as she stepped out of the elevator and down the short hall to the door to Kima's penthouse. It was standing open for her so she went straight inside, not surprised to see Kima behind her computer, her nose buried in the monitor.

"You summoned me?"

Kima looked up, smiling a little before pointing at the thick folder resting on the coffee table. "I thought that might help you."

Claudia studied her for a moment before moving to the couch and taking the folder from the table, opening it and staring at the female face in the first picture.

"It's-"

"Mia Koji," Claudia whispered before Kima could finish. "Koji? As in Professor Koji?"

"Yes, that's right. You know her?"

"No, not her, but Dorian's internship was under a Professor Koji."

"Ah, yes, I believe that was her grandfather. He died seven years ago when the Dynasty first attacked. Unfortunately, his body was taken over by a nether spirit and his soul was trapped. Ryo of the Wildfire set his soul free in the end. Dorian wasn't there at the time, if that's what you're wondering."

"She's still with this group?"

"Yes," Kima moved away from her computer and came towards the couch, frowning a little. "She'll be with them tomorrow when they pick up that boy," She reached down and turned one of the pages in the folder for Claudia. "His name is Yulie. He was also with the group throughout the entire ordeal. He's fifteen now, quite grown up. He will be playing in his last soccer game of the summer tomorrow and the group will be going out to watch the game. It will be your first opportunity to see the group up close and personal. I assume you have your camera?"

"Yeah," Claudia murmured, turning back to the picture of Mia, frowning deeply. "Would she remember Dorian?"

"I don't know, but Claudia, you must not draw attention to yourself. If you do, you will blow both our cover and you will never get any of the answers you're seeking."

"So I just sit there and watch them, knowing that all I have to do is ask?"

"Yes,"

Silence fell as Claudia sat back on the couch and glared at her. "What makes you think I can do that? What's to stop me from walking up to this bitch and demanding to know about what happened to my brother?"

"This," Kima pulled out another picture and dropped it into the table. "That's eight hundred pounds of feline flesh and temper that I doubt you want to mess with,"

Claudia stared at the white tiger, her breath caught in her throat. "I thought that was just a joke…"

...

End Chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

...

A.N.-I was listening to "One" by Metallica when I wrote the battle with the Youja and the confrontation between Kima and Rowen. Then I switched the song to "Lost in the Twilight Hall" by Blind Guardian, so I made some adjustments.-Kim

Chapter 5

...

"Buyakuen, or White Blaze, is far from a joke. He's very protective of the members of his group and I wanted to warn you in advance before you tried something." Kima explained.

Claudia nodded. "So it would be wise for me just to spy on them. Do I need to be close enough to hear anything?"

The blonde paused in thought for a moment. "No. It would probably be best to keep some distance from them. If Sage or Cye can sense your intentions, they may come after you. Stay away from them."

"You'll get your chance. Right now is just the spying stage. White Blaze is very protective of Ryo especially, so steer clear of him no matter what. If Sage and Cye don't sniff you out, the tiger will."

"Okay, I've got it. No contact. Is there anything else I should know?"

Tapping a finger against her chin, Kima thought hard as she formed her answer. "That's all I can think of for now, even though Yulie may come up and talk to you because he's just a friendly person. If that should happen, just go with it. Don't make yourself obvious. Yulie Yamada is one to watch."

Claudia gave an affirmative nod. "Alright then. If I need you, I won't hesitate to call." The brunette paused. "What should I do if I am discovered?"

Kima was silent for several minutes. "Stay calm. Don't reveal me just yet. I've planned on coming to them at a later time."

Kima's shoulders slumped as she watched Claudia stiffly leave her pent house on the thirtieth floor. Once she heard the door click, she flopped onto the sofa cushions and groaned. She really didn't like stringing the brunette along, but if she knew the truth, she'd wonder why she was here at all. The blonde's true intent was to get her to find out inside information just in case the Ronins knew something about what was going on that she didn't. She covered her eyes with her forearm. Could anyone blame her for wanting to know how the people that had been her friends were doing? Claudia had been the first female contact she'd had in years. She hadn't wanted to admit it until now, but she was lonely. The Destroyer had human emotions. It had taken her long enough to realize, but then again, she'd done it to herself. Groaning once again, Kima rose from the couch.

The balcony was a nice change of scenery. Something was going on; something was going to happen and she didn't know what. It was her duty to find out and stop it from happening. She would go to Toyama to make sure that everything went smoothly with Claudia. Doing this would also run the risk of her meeting up with the other Ronins, but it was a risk she'd have to take. Kima knew she had to end this and end it quickly. She only hoped that Claudia would stay out of her way. Sighing, she closed her eyes. She needed a vacation, but she'd settle for an iced coffee.

...

The white-haired male stood outside of the thirty story building waiting for the brunette; just in case. He must have missed Claudia's exit, however, because he spotted another female form that he recognized. He didn't dare approach her, though, for fear of totally obliterating an entire Tokyo city block. The warrior of Destruction had grown up quite a bit since the last time he'd seen her. He couldn't help but watch her glance up and down the street. Dais, being the sadistic bastard that he was, had to step back and examine his own artwork.

He couldn't forget the battle in which he'd given her that scar. She'd been fifteen at the time when he'd marred her face like that. Now there was a gleaming white "x" instead of a bloody wound, but it served the same purpose. Dais continued to watch her as she headed up the street in the opposite direction. He had information she wanted, but because of her reaction to him, he wouldn't dare share it with her. An evil smirk twisted Dais's lips as he turned from the building. Things were about to get interesting.

...

The sun was finally sinking below the skyline, painting the horizon the bright color of flame and blood; such wonderful colors to end the dying day. Kima stood out on her balcony, her black and silver sub armor snug against her skin. She pulled her hair into a messy bun with nimble fingers as she gazed at the buildings below her. Tonight she had to go to Toyama. Whatever this new evil was, it could quite possibly show interest in the Ronins who couldn't call their armors.

Pulling herself up onto the railing of the balcony, Kima took a deep breath and jumped. She landed lightly on the roof of a building fourteen stories below her and took off at a dead sprint over the rooftops that would lead her out of Tokyo. The wind pulled at loose pieces of hair, throwing them into her face. It wouldn't be long now until she reached Toyama's city limits. A dark presence began to prick at her exposed skin, causing her to shift her eyes to either side of her. Several red glares were running along side of her.

As she entered the city's borders, she slid to a stop on the rooftop to take care of her pursuers. Several took a fist to the face while others received a heel to the head. They all collapsed as a spout of acrid smoke poured from beneath their face masks. If there were youja in the area, their commander had to also be nearby. Kima quickly called her armor, her face hidden by the faceplate. She was led to a warehouse where the negative energy seemed to be the strongest. Sudden movement on the rooftop next to her caught her attention. Kima sprung into action, giving chase to the person who was now running away from her.

The figure, who fit the profile to be a female, kept glancing back over her shoulder at Kima, trying to see how close she was on her tail. Using an old battle tactic she'd read about, Kima sunk to the lower rooftops and cut around the female, quickly working her way in front of her prey. Grasping a sickle in her hand, she aimed carefully as she leapt into the woman's path. Her blow was blocked by the steel of a sai. The blonde stopped as the figure slid into the moonlight and became clear. She landed on the roof, removing her helmet.

"Kayura, what are you doing here? I thought you'd returned with the warlords?"

The ebony-haired woman sheathed her sai. "Kima. You've grown up into quite the lady. I'm here investigating the sudden youja attacks and all the negative energy that keeps appearing."

"I've been looking into that too." Kima confessed. "It's odd. The negative energy keeps disappearing and reappearing in a different location. I can't seem to find the source."

"You're not the only one." Kayura told her. "I've been looking into this for months and still have found nothing. I've been keeping an eye on the Ronin Warriors should they be attacked without their armors. I know what you've done, Kima. I gained that knowledge through Anubis. If things get ugly, you're going to have to give them back, you know that right?"

Kima sighed. "I realize that. I really don't want to think about it right now. Do you have some place to stay while you're here?"

Kayura smiled. "Arigatou for the offer, Kima, demo, I'm staying with Dais at his place. It's two bedroom, so its big enough. I'll find you if I need anything, though. I noticed that you'd added a self-inflicted scar behind your ear. Water? How touching, Destroyer."

The blonde frowned but nodded. "Keep in touch, Kayura. If you find anything out, let me know."

"I'll stay in touch. By the way, there's one more stop you might want to make before you head back to Tokyo."

...

Walking through the trees caused her vision to cloud a bit. Everything was exactly how she remembered it. Mia's lake house was still the same. The lights from the inside gave a cheery glow to the exterior and the laughter and conversation drifted out through the open screen door. That had been her goal all along. If that were true, then why was there the pain in her chest and the tightness in her throat? Why were her eyes burning? Was she crying after all this time? Kima had come within ten feet of the house before she stopped. She knew that she was risking her exposure by coming so close, but how could she not? Everything she knew was inside that house.

It was then as if the icy shell over her emotions returned and she stopped, clenching her fists. She'd not realized it, but the single loud sniffle she'd allowed to escape had attracted someone's attention. Hearing the screen door open and slam shut, she prepared to dash, but her curiosity caused her to stay a second longer. A familiar four-legged white tiger stood on the porch with a cocked head before coming down into the yard to rub his head against her hand.

"Hi, White Blaze. Long time, no see, huh? I'm sorry, boy." Kima explained, once again fighting her emotions. "I miss you all so much. I just couldn't let you guys keep fighting though. I know you're all tired of it. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been doing any fighting until recently. I wish it was all over too. I'm really lonely now."

She was so deep into her conversation with White Blaze that she didn't hear the door open and close a second time. That's why she was startled when she was called out standing there in the yard.

"Kima? Is that you?"

...

The lot of them were sitting around the table having a round of sake and were having a rather rambunctious conversation about their warrior days. The cool night air was moving through the open screen door and the windows, so the temperature was comfortable in the house. Everything seemed like it was supposed to. It did, that is, until Rowen noticed White Blaze lift his head off of his paws. The large beast sniffed the air a few times before rising to his feet and exiting the house. The warrior of Strata ran a hand through his blue hair in a confused manner. Didn't White Blaze usually growl when there were intruders nearby? Rising to his feet as well, he followed the large tiger's trail.

When Rowen emerged onto the porch, he heard a voice in the yard speaking softly to the large white tiger, the figure petting him like a large house cat. He was floored, needless to say. He could hear snippets of her conversation with the jungle cat.

"…I wish it was all over too. I'm really lonely now."

"Kima? Is that you?" Rowen asked, hardly believing his eyes.

He saw her jump at the sound of his voice, but she looked up at him with a look of stone on her face when she answered. "It's me. It's been a while, Rowen."

Her aloof attitude surprised him, but he could tell it was an act by what she'd just said to White Blaze. "It has been a while. You look like you've been doing okay. We haven't seen you around."

"That's because I haven't wanted you to see me." Kima replied. "You got what you all wanted, didn't you; to live your lives free of the will of the armors?"

Rowen shook his head. "We have, but not to the point where you were made their prisoner. Cye asks about you every—"

"It doesn't matter." She cut him off. "The five of you are happy. That's what matters most."

The blue-haired warrior of Strata finally lost his temper with the warrior of Destruction. "Kima, you don't get it, do you? You might have taken on this burden alone, but there's no way you can do it by yourself! It was hard enough for the six of us to beat Talpa. What do you think one person is going to do? You said it yourself. You're lonely. Cye's lonely too, Kima. We keep him company, but it's not the same thing. He wants _you_, Kima. All you have to do is come inside. This whole thing can be over in a few minutes if you'd just let us help."

Kima moved away from her spot like she was going to listen to what he was saying and then she stopped. "I can't, Rowen. I'm sorry. Tell Cye that I'm sorry."

Without another word, the blonde was gone through the bamboo thicket in the blink of an eye. Rowen felt his shoulders slump in defeat. She wasn't going to let them help her. Now came his true test. Did he tell Cye that he'd seen Kima or did he not mention it at all? He didn't have long to think for the front screen door opened a third time.

"Who are you out here talking to, mate? We were wondering where you'd gotten to." Cye called from the front door. Rowen hadn't realized that he'd wandered off the porch, but he made his decision in a split second.

"You're not going to believe it, Cye. Kima was just here."

Cye was floored by this news. His jaw hung open for a moment or two before he could reply. "Kima…what? She was here?"

"She was. She's not going to listen to us either, Cye. I tried to get her to come to us, but she refused. Now it's all up to her."

...

As Kima made it back to her pent house that night, she collapsed into her bed and cried her eyes out; the first time she'd cried in years.

...

The news Rowen had given him the previous night caused him to want to be alone the following day; at least until Yulie's soccer match. The others had gone ahead of him while he decided to mull around the park for a while. After he'd managed to achieve some peace of mind, he glanced down at the clock on the front of his cell phone. The game would start in about fifteen minutes. Leaving the park, Cye headed for the field. As he headed down the sidewalk, he could've swore that he heard music coming from down the street.

_Awaiting my last breath_

_The mirror calls my name_

_It's showing me the way_

_Into the dark_

_The bridge appears_

_I jump into the dark side_

_And hear the voice it's cold as ice_

_"Welcome to reality"_

_Where am I now?_

_Can't go forward_

_Can't go back_

_I see planets dying_

_I fall into the light_

_A new universe awakens_

_I'm a traveler in time_

_Pray for the light_

_Where's the key_

_To the gate_

_Of a new life-no_

_I search for deliverance_

_But I cannot find_

He recognized it as a song by a German band and he had heard it before, though he couldn't remember who it was by. Cye saw a black Camero pulling toward him on the street. The music was getting louder as it got closer, so the driver had to have the stereo up pretty loud. For some reason, a sinking feeling had come over him and he slowed his pace.

_Look behind the mirror_

_I'm lost in the Twilight Hall_

_Once I'll be back for a moment in time_

_That's when the mirror's falling down_

_Take me away_

_From the place I've been_

_To another life_

_In another world_

_A sign of life_

_Surrounds me now_

_The bridge appears in the dark_

_I'm free_

_I fly alone_

_Leaving this darkness now, forever?_

_The memories of children_

_And the wisdom of many lives_

_Burns deep in me_

_Where will the light go to?_

_Where will the light go to?_

_Is this deliverance?_

_Is it the end?_

Cye came to the corner just as the black car rolled to a stop at the red light. The driver's window was all the way down and the stereo was cranking. When he saw the driver, his heart froze in his chest. Long blonde hair caused his mind to jump to conclusions. There was no way it could be her. It just couldn't be.

_Look behind the mirror_

_I'm lost in the Twilight Hall_

_Once I'll be back for a moment in time_

_That's when the mirror's falling down_

As Cye continued to try and convince himself that the driver was not Kima, his vision was darkened slightly. The clouds had moved to block the sun. The auburn-haired man swallowed hard as the driver went to remove her sunglasses.

_I'm back there's a new chance for me_

_And all my memories are gone_

_I can feel what's happening to me_

_and the mirror will burst_

_Look behind the mirror_

_I'm lost in the Twilight Hall_

_Once I'll be back for a moment in time_

_That's when the mirror's falling down_

The scar. The driver's left eye had a scar. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Kima. He didn't know what to say. His body was about to move forward when she cast him a sidelong glance. Her cobalt eyes froze him in his place, causing his heart to beat fiercely in his chest.

_Look behind the mirror_

_I'm lost in the Twilight Hall_

_Once I'll be back for a moment in time_

_That's when the mirror's falling down_

The light turned green and she was gone. Neither of them had spoken to the other. Cye attempted to keep his heart from breaking as he continued to make his way to the field. A sudden anger was welling up inside of him. Why couldn't Kima just let them help? Why was she doing this alone? He wouldn't have the answers until they talked to Kima; if that would ever happen.

...

The day of Yulie's soccer game was nothing less than gorgeous. The sun was out and the blue sky was dotted with a few puffy white clouds. Mia led the others up the bleachers to sit in the ideal spot. The Ronins were in high spirits for the game and the anticipation of seeing their youngest group member.

"I can't wait to see Yulie out on the field." Mia said excitedly. "He's been waiting all this time to see us and show Ryo his techniques."

"I'm sure the squirt will school Ryo once they get back to your place, Mia." Kento laughed, taking a drink of his soda.

"You're one to talk about getting schooled." Cye retorted. "Didn't Rowen just school you in Street Fighter?"

"I'm actually looking forward to this game." Ryo commented, sliding a bit closer to Mia. "I want to see how much Yulie's improved."

Kento snorted. "He couldn't have improved that much."

The blonde Ronin had been silent up to that point. Instead of the field, his gray eyes were focused on the other side. Rowen noticed this strange behavior and spoke up. "Sage? What's up, buddy?"

"I've never seen her here."

"Who?"

Sage nodded toward a lone woman on the other side of the field. "She doesn't look like any of the parents or relatives that I've seen here before."

Rowen shook his head. "Maybe she's visiting from out of town."

"I don't think so. Something feels off with her." Sage told him, shifting his serious gaze to his best friend.

There was silence between them for a moment or two before the blue-haired man spoke. "If you're so worried about that woman, you could ask Cye. He's a more adept empath than you are."

"I think I'll watch her a bit longer before I ask." Sage thought out loud.

For a while, the subject was forgotten. The group cheered for their young friend as the soccer ball was passed, intercepted, and shot. Sage never once took his eyes off of the brunette for more than a few seconds at a time. He'd seen her pull out a camera and snap several pictures. It could've been aimed at the game, had she been watching it. A scowl settled over Sage's face.

As the game ended, Yulie rushed to his friends, rattling off excitedly about the details of the match. The warrior of Halo applied pressure to Cye's shoulder, indicating him to stop before he joined the group. The auburn-haired man turned, giving him a questioning look.

"I know you don't like reading strangers, but I think this might be important." Sage explained.

Cye nodded uncertainly. "Who is it, Sage?"

The blonde motioned to a brunette woman with dark sunglasses. "She's been snapping pictures of us the whole game."

"She's nervous; you know, the kind of nervous that comes with the fear of getting caught. I think you were right about something being off, mate."

"Thank you. That's all I needed to know." And with that, he took off through the crowd.

...

Quickly putting her camera back into the case, Claudia was fairly sure that she'd remained unseen. The blonde had unnerved her, however, for there were several occasions where she was taking the group's picture and he'd been looking right into her lens. As she was rising to her feet to leave, there he was right in front of her. Claudia yelped in surprise, stumbling back into her previous seat and staring up at him through sunglasses that had been knocked askew.

"Who are you and who do you work for?"

...

End Chapter


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

...

Rowen blinked in confusion as he walked up to Cye. "Where's Sage going?"

"Did you see that woman on the other side of the field? The one with the dark hair and the camera?"

"Yeah," Rowen glanced towards the opposing team's stands and watched Sage making his way through the crowd towards the woman who was hastily packing away her camera. "What about her?"

"Something's off with her. It caught Sage's attention so he had me read her. Rowen, she's up to something and I highly doubt that her camera lens has been anywhere near this game."

"You're saying that she was spying on us?"

"Seems that way,"

"Well, let's get over there. If I know Sage, he won't care about how many people are around him when his temper snaps," Rowen nudged Cye and headed through the crowd as quickly as possible to try and catch up to Sage. It was a little difficult because of all of the parents in the field gathering around their kids, but he managed to get there just as Sage cornered the woman.

Claudia had just put her camera away and was getting up to leave when she nearly slammed right into the last person she wanted to meet face to face. She fell back into her seat, startled, her sunglasses falling askew with the impact. She stared up at him, unsure of what was to come.

"Who are you and who do you work for?"

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Claudia flashed a nervous smile, glancing between both Rowen and Sage with a feigned obliviousness that was near believable. Unfortunately, Sage wasn't buying her innocent act, that was painfully obvious.

"Let me see your camera," Sage growled as he reached out to take it, surprised by the nasty snarl that Claudia let out in return as she snatched it away from him.

"Keep your grubby hands to yourself, buddy."

"Sage," Rowen muttered under his breath. "Could you not make a scene?"

"No one's paying attention to us," Sage reached for the camera again, this time having to grab her arm as she swung it towards his head.

"Get your hands off of me!"

"Give me the camera!"

"No! Look, buddy, all I have to do is scream," Claudia smiled triumphantly as Sage released her.

"What's on the camera?"

"Pictures, you dumb shit. You're friends with this guy?" Claudia glanced at Rowen, clearly dumbfounded.

"You were spying on us, now tell us why and who you work for!"

"Why would I spy on you? I don't even know who you are." Claudia smiled in feigned amusement, clearly getting nervous. "I was just shooting the game,"

"Then you shouldn't have a problem showing us the pictures you took,"

"Actually, I do. HEY!" Her camera had suddenly been jerked out of her hand and as she turned to glare at the culprit, she jumped back in surprise, slamming into Rowen's chest.

"Good job, White Blaze," Sage grinned as he took the camera and began browsing through all of the pictures, a look of dismay and slight frustration coming over him.

"Are you happy now, you freak?"

"You were taking pictures of us, I know it. You switched the memory cards!"

"You mean this one?" Claudia held the black memory card up and quickly shoved it down into her bra before either of them could make a grab for it. "I dare you to try for it,"

"You nasty little bitch!"

"Sage!" Rowen protested loudly.

"What did you call me?" Claudia asked, staring at him. "See, I really hate being called that." And without another word, Claudia flung her fist into his face, effectively bruising both ego and cheek. Rowen stared, horrified, as Sage wiped the blood from his face and glared at her.

"Sage? You ok?"

"Bitch has a nasty right hook,"

"Call me that again and you'll see what I can do with my knee,"

"What the heck is going on?" Ryo demanded as he and the rest of the group ran up to them. "Sage? What happened?"

"Jackass got a little mouthy," Claudia growled, snatching her camera off of the ground. "If you broke this, I swear…"

"Sage, you ok?" Yulie asked as he glanced at Claudia. "Did you do that to him?"

"Jerk is lucky I didn't break his damned face," Claudia hooked her camera case back over her shoulder and moved to leave, only to be cornered by a growling White Blaze. "Could you call off the cat?" She asked, clearly nervous about the eight hundred pounds of feline flesh and temper currently growling at her.

"You know, you seem nervous but not in the slightest bit surprised about a white tiger being a pet,"

"I hardly see him as a pet," Claudia whispered, taking another step back, only to bump into Kento's chest this time. She didn't protest as he held her still, unmoving and silent. Kima had warned her about that tiger and she didn't have the balls, figurative or literal, to test its temper.

"His name is White Blaze, and you're right, he's not a pet," Ryo said softly. "He's a friend and guardian."

Claudia nodded, her eyes locked on the tiger's form, her jaw clenched tightly. The look in her dark brown eyes was nothing short of cautious and very nervous.

"Guys? What on Earth…" Mia paused, staring at the woman Kento was holding together. She narrowed her eyes, puzzled as she studied the woman's face, then lit up in surprise. "Claudia? Claudia Preston?"

Stunned, Claudia's brown eyes shot up in Mia's direction and her lips parted, though no words came out for a few minutes. Then finally, "You know me?"

"Ah," Mia glanced at Sage and gave a rueful smile. "It's alright, Sage. I know her. Come on, you should probably ride with me back to the house."

"What? Wait, no! I'm not going anywhere with any of you! Who are you?"

"Mia Koji. But you knew that, didn't you? That's why you're here,"

"You're here spying on Mia?" Sage asked, earning himself a nasty look.

"I wasn't spying on anyone!"

"Claudia," Mia said gently, reaching out and touching her arm. "It's alright. Despite Sage's quick lips, he's not that bad. Come on, you're here for a reason, so why not see it through?"

"I'll ride with you," Rowen offered, heading in the direction of Mia's jeep.

"Well? Are you coming, Claudia?"

Claudia swallowed nervously for a moment before sighing and nodding faintly. "Alright,"

...

Claudia walked slowly around the large study on the second floor of the Koji estate, her dark brown eyes roaming slowly over the different titles of the books lining the shelves. Most contained pages upon pages of Japanese legends and mythology, but some contained modern history and the history of other various countries. There were a few books of science and other of theory, but the dominant titles were the history books of Japan.

"How long have you been in Toyama?" Rowen asked quietly as he walked into the room, leaning back against the doorway, his arms folded over his chest.

"A few days. Toyama isn't really my thing. I have to admit, I prefer the busyness of Tokyo,"

Rowen nodded, watching her very carefully as she moved around the room.

"Why are you here, Claudia?"

She stopped walking and slowly turned towards him, studying him carefully. "Personal reasons,"

"Like what?"

"Nothing that concerns you," Claudia looked away from him, the pictures lining the mantel piece catching her attention.

"I don't believe that. Claudia Preston. You're Gloria and Thomas Preston's daughter."

She stopped again, but didn't look at him. "Sometimes I'm worthy of being their daughter,"

Rowen blinked, slightly confused, and then brushed that comment off. "You're here because of your brother, Dorian. You're here because you think we had something to do with his disappearance."

"No, I'm here because my brother was under an internship with Mia Koji's grandfather seven years ago when he disappeared. I am here," Claudia snatched a photo off of the mantle and marched towards Rowen, shoving it into his face, "because she and her grandfather were the last two people to see him alive!"

Rowen's lip twitched a little as he reached up and took the picture from her hand, lowering it from his face. "Alright,"

"Alright?" Claudia took a step back from him, growling. "That's all you have to say?"'

Rowen's eyes narrowed a little. "What did you expect me to say?"

"Nothing," Claudia murmured, turning away again.

"You wanted…" Rowen's voice trailed off and he set the photo aside, reaching out and taking her arm roughly. "What do you know?"

"About what?" Claudia jerked her arm free. "You boys have a problem with the concept of personal space, don't you?"

"What do you know about us? You think we're responsible for your brother's disappearance!"

Claudia just watched him, neither confirming nor denying his revelation.

"What do you know?"

"Where is my brother?"

"Dorian was taken by the Dynasty," Mia said gently as she came into the room, a scroll tucked under her arm. "Seven years ago, the evil Dynasty rose from its prison, escaping the magical spells the Ancient one placed on it so long ago to keep it trapped. Everyone in Toyama was taken by its evil," Mia set the scroll down onto her desk and moved back to the door, closing it after White Blaze slipped inside. "You'll want to sit down for this. I imagine it will be a lot to take in,"

Mia moved back to her desk as Claudia sank onto the couch in the middle of the room, watching as Rowen moved to stand next to Mia's desk, White Blaze lying down lazily in front of it.

"Seven years ago, your brother and my grandfather were working together on a project that involved the Dynasty. My grandfather had begun to have visions of the Dynasty returning. Shortly after the visions began, your brother made an astonishing discovery. He was able to predict when the Dynasty would return. So, a few days before the Dynasty was raised, my grandfather sent Dorian out to test his theory and to find the Ancient. My grandfather was confident that Dorian was right, but after a few days when he didn't come back, he began to get worried. That's when he told me what was happening. That same day, the Dynasty appeared."

"And they took Dorian…" Claudia got up from the couch, moving back towards the fireplace to stare at the single picture of her brother.

"You don't seem surprised by any of the things I've just told you?" Mia questioned, stunned. "Claudia?"

"When we were kids, Dorian and I spent a lot of time with our grandmother. She took care of us when our parents were too busy parading around other countries looking for their important artifacts. My grandmother says that our family has Japanese heritage on my mother's side. My greatest grandmother, since I can't even begin to guess how many there were between her and mine. I guess you could say the story started with her, but, it was passed down through the generations to my grandmother who used to tell it to me and my brother all of the time. It was Dorian's favorite."

"The story of the Dynasty,"

"More than that." Claudia whispered, facing her. "You want to know why I believe you with no surprise?" Claudia moved towards the far left end of the mantle, took one of the Polaroid pictures that was stuck into a frame and brought it to Mia. "This is Shuten Doji, isn't it?"

Mia stared at the picture of Anubis that Yulie had taken all those years ago and nodded. "Yes, it is,"

Claudia nodded, glad to have that confirmed. She moved for her purse and pulled out an old picture of Dorian and set it down on the desk next to the picture of Anubis. "Striking resemblance,"

"Wow," Mia whispered, leaning in close. "Dorian didn't have such long hair like that when he came here, otherwise he could have been Anubis' twin,"

"Anubis?"

Mia glanced up, blinking, then quickly nodded. "That's what he was known by to the Dynasty,"

"Dorian and I are descendants of the Doji line. My grandmother used to tell us the story from the very beginning. How the dark leader of the Dynasty came to Feudal Japan and sought out the greatest Samurai warriors to be his Warlords. My grandmother said there were four but only ever knew the story of one. This one, my great grandfather, Shuten." Claudia stepped back, glancing at Rowen, swallowing thickly. "She didn't have any pictures. There was no way for me to identify him. If he didn't look so much like Dorian in that photo, I might never have even noticed him,"

Mia sighed quietly, leaning back in her chair. "I've never heard his story before. Do you mind telling it to me? To us?" She glanced at Rowen and smiled down at White Blaze who was watching Claudia intently as if he understood her every word.

"My grandmother died several years ago and I haven't heard it in a while, so I'm not sure how many details I can give you." Claudia finally sat back down on the couch and fidgeted for a minute. "Apparently great grandfather Shuten was an up and coming Samurai Lord who had conquered quite a bit of territory. The story goes that eventually, another great lord came to him with the promise of even more territory to rule in exchange for the use of him and his soldiers in a war. If he was successful, the land and all of its people would be his. So he agreed. When the war was over and he stood victorious, the lord betrayed him and took all of the land and his armies away. Shuten and his family were cast out of their own land and into exile." Claudia leaned back on the couch at this point and folded her arms over her chest. "Several weeks went by and his wife, who was heavily pregnant at the time, got extremely ill. The baby girl she gave birth to was premature and too weak to live. Shuten, in a desperate plea for help, sold his soul to the Netherworld in exchange for his daughter's life. Remarkably, when he returned to his wife, his daughter had survived. As the months passed by, his daughter grew stronger and healthier, but his wife was still ill. She was dying.

He ended up going back to the woods one night to make another plea for help. This time for his wife. Since he had already offered his soul for his daughter, the only thing he could offer now was service to the lord of the Netherworld. When the offer was agreed upon, Shuten returned home to find his wife miraculously healed. But only a few days later, the lord of the Netherworld called in the debt owed to him. Shuten obviously couldn't refuse, but he was hesitant. In order to persuade Shuten to obey and serve without question, the dark lord offered Shuten revenge against the lord who vanquished him. In the night, Shuten road into the lands with legions upon legions of soldiers and overcame the other lord, but when he saw the soldiers of the Netherworld destroying everything that moved, he became frightened. Women and children were being slaughtered mercilessly in his name. When he tried to call the soldiers off, they turned on him. Furious, he fought back, his anger and his fear and the repeated betrayal freezing his heart. It's said that at that point, the dark lord of the Netherworld seized his heart and blackened it. Shuten then became corrupt and power hungry. The slaughter of his own people no longer troubled him and he became more and more insatiable." Claudia stood up and walked towards the balcony, staring out over the tops of the trees. "At the peak of the war, the Ancient One you spoke of earlier arrived. A monk of unbelievable power and wisdom. He used his magic to seal the Netherworld. According to my grandmother, he had tried to free Shuten's heart, but the dark lord pulled him into the netherworld before the Ancient One could turn him back. Shuten's family never saw him again, but the Ancient One made sure they were well taken care of,"

When Claudia didn't speak again, Mia and Rowen glanced at each other.

"The Ancient One was able to free him. Seven years ago, his heart was freed."

"Where is he?" Claudia whispered. "Maybe he knows where Dorian is…"

"Shuten died in the final battle with the Dynasty. He gave his life to help save another that could carry on the work of the Ancient One. After that, the Ronin Warriors were able to defeat the Dark Lord and seal the gates of the Dynasty."

Claudia turned towards Mia, her eyes narrowed. "Ronin Warriors?"

This time Rowen swallowed thickly. "You don't know about them?"

Claudia was silent as she met Rowen's eyes…and lied, "No,"

"The Ronin Warriors saved this world from the Dynasty. They freed everyone who had been taken by the dark lord,"

"Then where is my brother?" Claudia demanded, moving towards Mia. "If they freed everyone, where is he?"

"Not everyone came back," Rowen offered gently. "Your brother doesn't strike me as the type of guy that would just surrender to the Dynasty. My guess is that he fought back and was killed. Not many did it, but those that did, died,"

Claudia's bottom lip quivered a bit. "My brother is not dead. I would know if he were dead! Stop saying that he's dead!"

"I'm sorry. I'm not saying it to be cruel,"

Claudia paused, trying to put a leash on her temper. "What about you? Were you taken by the Dynasty?"

Rowen hesitated before nodding, whispering, "Yes,"

"And did you fight back?"

"Yes…"

"But you survived…"

"Yes,"

"How?" Claudia demanded, slamming her fist into the table. "How is it that you could fight back and survive and my brother couldn't?"

"Because your brother wasn't one of us," Sage had come into the room and Claudia immediately focused her attention on him.

"And what the hell makes you so great that you could survive and my brother couldn't? He was strong! He was amazing in martial arts and any fighting technique he could be taught! There's no reason he wouldn't have survived, so tell me how the hell you managed where he couldn't!"

Sage glanced at Rowen and Mia before looking back Claudia. "I'm a Ronin Warrior,"

"Bullshit!" Claudia shouted, slamming her fist into the desk.

"He's telling the truth," Rowen murmured. "I am, as well,"

She shook her head, clearly getting furious. "He was just as strong as you,"

"Even that couldn't have saved him. Strength and skill alone wasn't enough to defeat the Dynasty. We had armor, mystical armor to help us defeat them. Your brother didn't have that," Sage growled. "He couldn't have survived."

"Shut up!" Claudia shouted, wrenching her eyes shut. "He's not dead! He's alive and I will find him!"

"No, you won't," Sage shouted back. Claudia glared at him before grabbing her bag and marching for the door, shoving him roughly out of her way.

"Where are you going?" Mia called, running after her. "Claudia, wait! Where are you going?"

"Back to the city!"

"But you can't walk there! It's too far away. Let me drive you," Mia reached for her keys but Claudia had already stormed out of the house and was marching down the drive. "Claudia!"

...

She'd been walking for two hours when she finally reached the end of the dirt road.

"Hey there,"

Surprised, Claudia gasped and looked up, ready for a fight, but quickly relaxed.

"Kima…"

"Need a ride?" She smiled gently at Claudia, folding her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the hood of her car. "Seems to me you've been walking quite a while,"

"How did you know I'd be here?" Claudia asked as she climbed into the car.

"After I didn't hear from you, I went looking. Call me paranoid if you wish, but when I saw you get into the car with Mia, I figured I should follow. When the group you left with turned down this road, I pulled over and decided to wait it out."

"Figures. I didn't tell them anything about you,"

"I didn't think you would." Kima climbed into the car and turned it back towards the city. "Did you find out anything?"

"Nothing promising. But Sage and Rowen both admitted to being Ronin Warriors,"

"That's good. It means they trust you," Kima took a deep quiet breath. "Despite my earlier concerns, this trust might be really good for you. If you get an opportunity to contact or interact with them again, take it, but don't reveal anything until they offer up the information, got it?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever,"

"Alright. I'll take you back so that you can get some rest. I don't imagine it's been an easy day for you."

...

Claudia sat in her apartment for three hours, just staring blankly at the TV as a thunderstorm began to build up outside.

It wasn't true. It couldn't have been. Dorian wasn't dead, she was sure of it. She would have felt him pass.

"Dammit," She whispered at long last, turning off the TV and leaping to her feet, heading for the door. She needed to get out of here.

The walk to Raj's apartment took an hour and the rain was relentless as it came down. By the time she reached his building, she was soaked through to the bone and absolutely freezing. Miserably, she climbed the stairs up to his apartment, hugging herself as the cold continued to seep through.

"Raj," She muttered as she reached out and pounded on his door. "Raj!"

The door opened, but the face Claudia stared into wasn't Raj's face. It was a woman.

"Hello,"

Claudia stared at the woman for a moment in complete surprise.

"Kayura, who is it?" Dais walked out of his kitchen, drinks in his hands and stopped dead in his tracks. "Claudia? You're soaked…!"

She took a step back, for some reason feeling a little betrayed when she shouldn't have. She and Raj had no emotional ties to each other. What they had couldn't even be called a relationship, yet there was another woman in his apartment and all Claudia could feel towards that was some kind of betrayal. Without saying a word, she turned and raced back towards the stairs.

"Claudia? Claudia!" Dais shoved the drinks into Kayura's hands and ran after her, watching her bypass the elevator and head straight down the stairs.

"Claudia, wait!" Dais protested as she kept racing down flight after flight of steps. Finally, she stumbled on a step and fell against the wall, sinking down along it to cry on the floor. Dais slowed down as he reached her, then knelt and touched her shoulder. "Claudia? Daijobou?"

"He's n-not dead," She whimpered, shaking her head violently. "He's not, Raj! He's not dead! He can't b-be!"

"Claudia…" He sighed quietly, reaching out to her and pulling her against his chest. "I'm sorry, Claudia,"

"Who is she?"

"Who? Kayura? An old friend who needs a place to stay," Dais smiled a little. "Are you jealous?"

"What? No!" She shoved him away and then leaned back against the wall, glaring at him. "Why should I be jealous?"

He was still smiling at her so she just sighed and looked away. "Jerk…"

"I suppose I deserve that for whatever reason there may be for it. Come on, Claudia. Let's get you out of those wet clothes and into something dry and warm,"

"I don't need to be coddled,"

"I didn't say you did," Dais reached out and pulled her back to her feet, tucking her against his side as he lead her back up the stairs. "You'd be a lot easier to take care of if you'd just let me do it,"

She snorted as they reached the top of the stairs and back into the hallway. His apartment door was standing open, waiting for them, and they crossed the threshold quietly.

"I pulled some clothes for you," Kayura said softly, holding them out to Claudia. "I figured you'd rather be dry."

"Yeah… thanks…" Claudia took them, trying to smile, then headed to Dais' room to change. Once they were alone, Kayura threw an accusing look at Dais.

"Why are you stringing her along? Does she know?"

"Of course not. And I'm not going to be the one to tell her," Dais hissed, sighing quietly. "Drop it, Kayura. Now is not the time,"

"Fine. If you say so," Kayura grabbed her drink and her plate of food and headed down the hallway to the second bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. Dais just stood in the middle of his living room for several long minutes in silence, wondering at the back of his mind if there was any possible way this whole ordeal could end on a good note.

"Seems I need to have a little chat with a Destroyer," He muttered, heading into the kitchen.

...

End Chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Dais finally told himself that the slight blonde was nothing to fear and he needed to speak with her in person. Of course, this was a lie because she still had her armor and had the ability to use the attacks of the other Ronins at her disposal. Sighing, he listened for Claudia moving around in his bedroom, but when he heard no noise, he picked up the phone. It was time to give the Destroyer a call.

...

The group of eight sat around Mia's living room in utter silence, each contemplating the day's events as they had happened. Cye couldn't get over the fact that he'd seen Kima driving around in Tokyo after Rowen had reported her in the front yard the night before. Then there was the matter of Claudia. Was it a coincidence that they had been in town the same day or did the two events have something to do with one another? Shaking his head, he couldn't allow himself to read too much into the situation just yet.

It was Kento that finally broke the silence with his own opinions. "So what about this Claudia girl? I don't think we should've been so quick to tell her that we're the Ronin Warriors."

"Were the Ronin Warriors." Rowen corrected with a bemused tone.

"Whatever. I still think she's working for somebody."

Mia shook her head. "She's looking for her brother. My grandfather and I were the last people to see him alive. That sounds like a legitimate reason to me."

"Even so," Sage started, "I agree with Kento. I don't think we should trust her. She's working for someone. I don't think she was that surprised when we told her we were the Ronin Warriors. Someone is giving her information."

"Who would be giving her information, Sage?" Ryo asked in a weary manner. "The people who know about us have either disappeared or are sitting in this room."

Rowen shifted uncomfortably as Cye was the next to speak. "What about Kima?"

"What about her, man?" Kento snapped. "She's gone. She won't talk to us and she's hiding. What has she got to do with any of this?"

Cye was quiet for a moment before continuing. "I saw her today before the soccer game. She was stopped at a traffic light and she wasn't that far from the field."

"She was in the front yard last night." Rowen murmured.

"Wait, so you think Kima's the mastermind behind all of this? What the hell for? Why would she call Claudia into this?" Kento blurted angrily.

"Kima might have been gone for a while, but she wouldn't betray us." Ryo said soundly. "She's got her own reasons for disappearing and maybe one day she'll come to us again, but I don't think Claudia and Kima have anything to do with one another. Let's focus on Claudia for now."

Sage snorted. "I haven't ruled anything out just yet. I don't trust the bitch; plain and simple."

Rowen felt his temper rising. "Why must you talk about Claudia like she's some sort of spy? She's trying to find out the truth about her brother. Wouldn't you want to do the same thing?"

"I still don't trust her!" Sage shouted as he stormed outside.

Kento glanced around the room at his companions before his reserve steeled. "I'm with Sage on this one. I don't trust her."

The Ronins decided that the argument would be best taken outside and away from Mia and Yulie. There, the shouting continued.

...

Mulling around in her kitchen, Kima was debating on whether she wanted something to eat or not. Finally deciding not to, the blonde moved into her living room. The ringing of her cell phone grabbed her attention. She half expected it to be Claudia calling to tell her that she didn't want to continue with her work, but it was a number that she didn't recognize. After a couple of more rings, Kima decided to pick it up.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Hello, Destroyer. It's been quite some time since we last spoke."

Kima's lips pressed into a straight line. "How did you get this number?"

A chuckle passed through the phone. "As curt as always, I see. I have my ways. Anyway, I didn't call to chat about the old days. I have information for you that I thought you might be interested in. I need you to meet me in person."

"How do I know that this isn't a trap?" Kima asked. "Why should I trust you?"

"First of all, you don't. You should trust me because as the only one who can still call on their armor, the fate of the world is at stake."

She sighed, knowing that he was right. "Alright, Dais, I'll play your game. Where do you want to meet?"

"That's the Destroyer I know." Dais replied. "We meet at the base of the mountain in Toyama; at the shrine. One hour. If you're not there, I'm holding this information to myself."

The line went dead in the next instant. A subtle emotion began welling in her chest that she could barely recognize, but she hadn't felt it since her captivity in the Dynasty dungeon. Rage; complete and unhindered rage toward the white-haired warlord threatened to overthrow her mask of calm. Shaking her head, Kima grabbed her keys from the coffee table and stormed from her pent house as fast as her legs would carry her. She had an agenda to keep up with.

...

Mia was pacing around her bedroom pondering a thought that she'd been having. It hadn't seemed right to send Claudia off without explaining more about what her brother had been working on. Dorian had been one of her grandfather's brightest interns that actually took an honest interest in what they were doing. The more she thought about it, the more she knew what she had to do. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number that was scribbled on the paper beside it.

"Hello, Claudia? I'm sorry to call you so late, but I've been thinking about our conversation earlier and I'd like to explain things a little more. Would you mind coming back to my place. Don't worry about interference, the guys are out. Thank you so much! I appreciate it. I'll see you in a bit. Goodbye."

Feeling better, the brunette moved downstairs to turn the porch light on and wait for Claudia's arrival.

...

"So, the Ronin Warriors have come to odds with each other?" came a voice from the shadows.

"Whose there?" Kento shouted, becoming defensive.

"You know who I am, Hardrock. It's been quite some time."

Ryo's brows furrowed as he took a step forward. "Sekhmet. What are you doing here?"

"I've come scouting for my master. Apparently, the only force that could stand in his way has been reduced to a pack of quarreling children." he answered in a cocky manner.

"Your master?" Rowen asked. "Why have you come back?"

Sekhmet grinned in an evil manner. "I'm not at liberty to say. Since you are no longer a threat, I must take out my only obstacle. She will be a challenge." He then looked over to Cye. "You haven't said anything this whole time. You've become slow in this time of peace, Torrent." the figure jeered, clucking in disapproval. "I expected better from my rival."

Cye's eyes narrowed. "There's no need for me to fight anymore. Why are you here, Sekhmet?"

"I've come to carry out my master's bidding. I only wish to have a bit of fun with you now. You're only good for that, you know."

"Cut the crap. Why are you here?" Sage growled. "You're starting to try my patience."

Sekhmet laughed as he dropped from the trees. "No, you're trying my patience, Halo. I've had enough of your weakness and the weakness of your friends. My master has vowed to rid this world of such. The warrior of Destruction, on the other hand, could be a problem."

A dark scowl settled over the Cye's face. "Leave Kima out of this."

"Why?" Sekhmet asked. "She's the only one who'll be fighting me now, Torrent. Frankly, she's no competition for my master. He'll wipe her out easily."

"Don't you hurt her, Sekhmet. You'll have me to deal with if you do."

"You? You're no match for me anymore. Without your armor, you're nothing."

Cye sneered as he fought not to grind his teeth together, clenching his fists. "I'm more of a match than you think I am."

Sekhmet guffawed loudly. "Say what you will, Torrent. I'd better be off. I want to see whether or not Dais completely wiped out Destroyer. I saw them fighting on my way to find you. From what I understand, she's still bitter about that scar he gave her."

"Leave Kima out of this. I'm warning you."

"Personally, I'd love to see my master rip her apart slowly and burn the pieces to ash, leaving nothing but the armor."

With no other words, the Warlord of Venom took off through the trees as fast as a bolt of lightning. Cye dawned his sub armor and gave chase. Despite how they called after him, Cye's friends couldn't convince him to return. Dawning their own sub armors, the Ronins gave chase to Sekhmet.

...

_Twenty minutes earlier..._

Kima sighed as she propped her back against her car at the small mountain shrine in Toyama where she'd agreed to meet Dais. The night sky was black against the lights of the distant city. The sound of tires on gravel reached her ears and her guard was immediately raised. As the car pulled to a stop beside her, she watched carefully as the driver opened the door and stepped out to join her. Dais flicked his white hair over his shoulder and she noticed that he still wore the patch over his right eye. His ice blue eye stared at her carefully as he made his way over.

"I'm surprised that you decided to show. I didn't think you would." he admitted.

The blonde snorted in response. "I honestly didn't think I would either, but I want this whole thing to be over so things can go back to normal."

Dais was thoughtfully silent for a moment. "You call the life that you live normal? How the definition of the word has changed."

"I didn't come here to be insulted, Dais. What is it that you need to tell me?" Kima bit out.

"Patience is a virtue, Destroyer, though it's not yours. Your virtue is power, but that's beside the point." the Warlord of Illusion commented smartly.

"Dais, you are trying my patience..."

"I know. I know. I merely had to continue the conversation a bit. I haven't had a chance to gaze on my work of art for quite some time now."

Ice seemed to cover Kima's eyes as she stared at the white-haired man in front of her. "What did you say?"

"Your scar is my greatest accomplishment, Kima. I won't lie. I've been proud of that brand since the day I gave it to you."

Saying nothing else, the blonde called her armor, holding her sickles in an aggressive manner. Dais called his armor as well, jumping away from his opponent. Kima was on him in less than a second. Her sickles locked with the blades of his mourning star as they pushed against one another. The Warlord of Illusion sent a flying kick towards Kima's feet, only to have her back-step the move.

"I must say, you've gotten better since the last time we fought, Destroyer."

"Fuck you, Dais." Kima spat as she gained momentum, twirling her sickles. "Dancing Blades!"

The sickles spun like pinwheels as they moved in two arches toward Dais. He skillfully used the blades of the mourning star to deflect the attack, sending the blades gracefully back into Kima's hands. The world around them erupted into purple light. "Web of Deception!"

Kima darted into the trees and away from her enemy. She heard him enter the forest after her, but she wasn't for sure how long he'd pursue her.

...

Once Claudia had emerged from Dais's room, she saw Kayura hanging up her cell phone. She'd just gotten off the phone with Mia and she needed a ride back up to the lake house. After peering around the corners and into the other rooms with no sign of the white-haired man, the brunette decided that she had no choice but to ask the other woman where he'd disappeared to so quickly.

"Do you know where Raj went? He was just out here and I wanted to ask him if he could give me a ride back up to Mia's."

"He's not here. He had some business to take care of, so he went out. I was just about to go out and stop him. The place he went isn't that far away from where you're going. Would you like a ride?" Kayura offered.

Claudia thought about it for a moment before sighing. What choice did she have? "Sure, why not?"

...

End Chapter


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

...

Things were not going her way tonight, that was for sure. She couldn't get Kima to answer the phone and Raj wasn't answering his either. What was worse, she was in a car with a strange woman that she didn't trust, speeding down a crumbling old road to God only knew where.

"So," Claudia finally muttered. "How do you know Raj?"

"We're old acquaintances."

"Is that all?" Claudia asked, trying not to sound suspicious…or jealous.

"Raj doesn't really like to acknowledge the fact that we know each other, actually. Suits me just fine,"

"Alright," Claudia muttered as Kayura focused on the road and kept driving. She wasn't much for conversation, that was for sure. "You know where he was going?"

"Yes,"

When Kayura didn't offer up any more information, Claudia sighed and got comfortable. This woman was strange…

...

"Dammit!" Rowen threw his arm out, jerking Sage back a few steps. "Sage! Mia and Yulie!"

"Shit!" Sage cursed, watching the others run off after Cye and Sekhmet. "Come on! We can't leave them without protection!"

"What do you think, Sage? I thought Sekhmet and the other warlords were on our side? And what was he talking about, his master? Who the hell has taken over now?"

"I don't know, but it isn't good!" Sage growled, racing alongside of Rowen to get back to the house before Mia and Yulie could be threatened. "This would be so much easier if we had our armors!"

...

"Where are we going?" Claudia finally questioned after twenty minutes of silence.

"The shrine."

"Why?" Claudia was really starting to get suspicious now.

"Raj went to the shrine to take care of some business. I'm taking you there because it's on the way to Mia's house,"

Claudia nodded, her eyes narrowing. _I never even told her where I was going and I never mentioned Mia…_ She glanced over at Kayura from the corner of her eye and swallow thickly. The second she got the chance, she was taking the car and getting the hell out of dodge.

"We're here," Kayura said quietly as they made the last winding turn on the dirt road and pulled up a few feet from two other cars parked in front of the main steps of the shrine. Both women climbed out of the car and looked around, stunned by the look of the place. It almost seemed as if a tornado had spun through.

But Claudia's attention was hooked by the sight of Kima's car parked next to Raj's. A pang of jealously and bitterness rose up from the pit of her stomach. First this Kayura chick and now Kima, too?

What the heck was going on?

"Looks like this place has seen better days," Kayura whispered, walking around near the steps for a moment. Claudia watched her, staying where she was next to the car. "Seems someone else had Raj's idea,"

"What would Raj be doing here?" Claudia questioned as Kayura moved to check Raj's car. While she was distracted, Claudia peered into Kayura's car to confirm that the keys were still in the ignition and relaxed a little when she saw that they were.

"I don't know, but he comes up here every so often…when he needs to think," Kayura lied, sighing heavily as she turned in a small circle until she faced the steps. Some of the bricks had been split in half, a few even turned practically into dust from the battle that had started here and obviously moved off somewhere else.

"Why did you bring me here?" Claudia questioned suddenly.

"Because I need to talk to Raj and I figured you'd want to let him know where you were going since he'll probably worry. Mia's house isn't far from here,"

"Who is Mia?" Claudia asked, frowning.

Kayura froze, glancing at Claudia in surprise, caught. "You said you needed a ride from Raj to go see Mia,"

"No, I didn't." Claudia whispered. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I-" A brilliant and loud explosion rocked the ground and lit up the night sky, drawing Kayura's attention towards it, giving Claudia the perfect opportunity to make a break. She threw herself into the car, cranked it, threw it in gear and sped crazily down the road.

"CLAUDIA!" Kayura shouted in protest, running after her for a few feet before skidding to a stop. "God dammit!"

...

Dais swooped down, laughing as Kima threw furious after furious attack in his direction, always missing as he danced gracefully out of the way, keeping himself just out of reach of her.

"Are we having fun yet, Kima?"

"Fuck you, Dais! Now, hold still so that I can kill you!"

"I don't plan on dying tonight. I didn't come here for that,"

"Then why are you here?"

Dais flew forward, effectively pinning her against the trunk of a tree. "You're using Claudia for your own selfish reasons. Do you know what's at stake here? If she is harmed in any way because of what you're doing, I swear, Kima, that I'll leave so many scars on your body, even your precious Torrent won't be able to stand the sight of you,"

"You son of a bitch!" In an explosion of power, Kima shot forward, knocking him away from her, preparing another strike when she froze, surprised. She glanced at Dais seeing the same surprise reflected in his eye.

"Sekhmet,"

"CLAUDIA! God dammit!" Kayura's shout and the sound of tires screeching over gravel drew Dais' attention back towards the shrine and the tension mounted. They both glanced at each other, torn between finishing their own battle or heading into others. Sekhmet was here, which meant that things were beginning to escalate. Was the Dynasty's new master already powerful enough to raise the gates?

Dais mounted his mourning star onto the back of his armor and glared towards Kima. She glared right back, standing down just as he had.

"We will finish this later," Dais finally growled.

"I suppose we will," Kima whispered as they both took a few steps back in opposite directions. "Stay out of my way, Dais,"

"Don't let that snake bite you, Kima. I'd hate the thought of one of my greatest works of art being ruined by his poison," Dais smirked a little as he turned and leapt back towards the shrine in a hurry, the smile fading from his face as he swept down past the cars and Kayura.

"Dais? DAIS!" Kayura shouted, donning her sub armor and racing off after him. "Dais, wait a minute!"

...

"MIA! YULI!" Rowen shouted as they raced into the house and looked around, relieved when Mia and Yulie both rushed out of the den to meet them.

"What's going on? Why are you wearing your sub armor?" Yulie asked, staring at them in surprise.

"We've got a problem. Are you two ok?"

"Yes!" Mia said, confused and startled. "What's going on? What's happened?"

The sound of a car speeding up the driveway had all four of them running outside.

"Claudia?" Mia questioned as the woman jumped out of the car and came straight for them, looking absolutely furious.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" She shouted angrily as Sage jumped in front of everyone and grabbed her arm, yanking her to the side.

"You're going to tell me who the hell you're working for!" Sage shouted, jerking her roughly as she struggled against him.

"Let me go!" Claudia protested, staring at him in surprise as his fingers squeezed hard enough to bruise her arm.

"Tell me what the hell you've done!"

"I haven't done anything! Let me go!"

"Sage!" Mia shouted, grabbing his arm and prying his fingers free. "Sage, stop! This isn't her doing…"

"How do you know that, Mia?" Sage demanded, turning on her. "How can you trust her? She shows up suddenly and knows all about us and out of nowhere, Sekhmet shows up?"

"Sekhmet?" Mia gasped, surprised. "Sekhmet is here?"

"Who the hell is Sekhmet?" Claudia demanded, rubbing her throbbing arm. "God you asshole…"

Dais paused in the tree line, crouching down low to stay in the shadows, watching the scene playing out in front of him. His body tensed as he watched Sage grab hold of Claudia hard enough to bruise and fought the impulse to attack the Ronin and beat him to a bloody pulp.

"What the hell is going on?" Kayura demanded quietly as she finally caught up to him. "Dammit, Dais, have you lost your mind? You have to realize how delicate this situation is right now. Picking a fight with Kima has to be the dumbest thing you could have possibly done!"

"Shut up, Kayura. I don't need a lecture from you on my own actions. Get down!" He growled, glaring up at her.

"What is going on?" She grumbled as she knelt down beside him, watching the action on the front lawn.

"Sekhmet is here,"

"What? Sekhmet? Are you sure? Dais? Dais, are you sure?"

"Yes!" He hissed, throwing out his arm to shush her. "Kima went to investigate,"

"Why didn't you?"

Dais glared at her briefly before focusing his attention back on Claudia. "I have other priorities right now. Kima can handle herself,"

Kayura just studied him for a moment before glancing towards Claudia and back again. "Please tell me that you aren't falling in love with her. Dais, you know what's happening here! You know what's going to happen if Do-"

Dais hissed in warning and Kayura lowered her voice again. "You know what's going to happen if the Dynasty's new master is able to enact his grand scheme. Don't you dare lose control over your emotions now,"

"Kayura, shut up," Dais growled, his eye narrowing as a new sensation came over him.

"What the hell?" Kayura whispered, gasping in surprise. "Dais, is that…?"

"Cale," He whispered, his lip twitching. "Kayura…it's happening,"

"But…how? There's no possible way he could have gained this much strength so quickly. We drained every source of dark energy from the Nether-realm as we could. How could anyone have gained enough power in so little time to open the gates even a crack to allow beings like Cale and Sekhmet to get free?"

"We've missed something," Dais whispered. "Something vital…"

"But how? We should have covered all of the bases… Dais, this can't be happening," Kayura whispered in dismay. "I was so sure that we'd been successful,"

"We had been, Kayura," Dais sighed quietly. "We just missed something,"

"Where is he?"

"I don't know," Dais glanced around, growing slightly nervous. "I feel him but I don't see him,"

Rowen shuddered a little as a cold wind blew through and he glanced around him while Sage and Mia argued over Claudia and whether or not she was trustworthy. The cold wind was dark and unnatural and he could feel that whatever was coming behind it wasn't safe at all.

"Sage…" Rowen murmured, taking a backwards step towards the group. "Sage!"

"What?" Sage demanded, whipping around and freezing up in surprise. He knew the feel of that dark energy. "It can't be…! Him, too?"

"Who?" Mia asked, drawing Yulie close to herself and Claudia. "Sage? Rowen?"

"Cale!" Sage shouted as he and Rowen turned and dove for the group, knocking them to the ground and shielding them as a vicious blast of dark energy erupted and flew wickedly fast towards them.

"What the hell was that!" Claudia demanded, cowering in horror beneath Rowen's body, clearly shaken by the blast.

"Are you alright?" Rowen whispered, glancing down into her frightened face. "Claudia?"

"I…yeah," She murmured as he sat up and pulled her with him. "What the hell was that?"

"Nothing good," Yulie muttered, clinging to Mia as Rowen and Sage took a stand before them.

"Ooh, that was fun," Out of the shadows before them came Cale, dressed in his menacing armor and smirking ever so wickedly towards Sage and Rowen. "I'm quite impressed. I didn't expect you both to be so graceful and quick without your armors. I'm glad to see that you'll still be worth my time,"

"Cale!" Sage snapped, balling his fists tightly. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh, just a little of this and a little of that. I'm actually here per the request of my master. He asked that I observe the competition and stretch my legs a little. Actually, he's quite interested in her," Cale lowered his sword and pointed it towards Claudia. "Claudia, is it? My master seems to have a great interest in you. But who can blame him? You are, after all, a direct descendant of Shuten Doji, otherwise known as Anubis, Dark Warlord of Cruelty. I imagine my master would have great use of you. Otherwise, why would he waste his time by sending his greatest warriors out to pick you up?"

Claudia swallowed thickly and scooted back towards the car. What was he talking about?

"Where do you think you're going?" Cale demanded, leaping into the air and aiming a very powerful attack in her direction.

"No, Claudia!" Dais growled, leaping from the trees and jerking his mourning star from his back. "WEB OF DECEPTION!" As the power of his armor swept out over the lawn towards Cale, Dais dove down, grabbed Claudia and leapt away again, far out of Cale's reach.

"Dais? Dais, is that you?" Cale asked as he picked himself up from the ground and shook himself, stunned by the power and fury behind that attack. He chuckled as he cracked his neck and smirked towards the other warlord. "It is you…! Master said you might show up. Honestly, I didn't think you'd have the balls,"

"Back off, Cale!" Kayura shouted as she appeared behind him, clad in the same armor that had once belonged to Anubis. "I don't know how you got here or where your brilliant master was able to draw enough energy, but you need to leave and you need to leave now."

"Why? The fun is just beginning, Lady Kayura. I wouldn't miss it for the world,"

...

Kima was nearly out of breath by the time she reached the clearing where she felt Sekhmet's dark, poisonous energy, and she was shocked completely by the sight of Cye and Kento, and even Ryo, trying to fight him without the aid of their armors.

Sekhmet laughed in amusement as he tossed them aside and leapt back a few feet, smirking wickedly as she walked forward from the tree line behind them. "As much fun as I have been having, I regret to say that this will have to wait for another time. I'm afraid my new playmate doesn't want to simply play," He drew his swords and slid back into a fighting stance. "How about it, Destroyer? Come to charm the snake?"

"Still as lame and venomous as ever, Sekhmet," Kima muttered as she shoved herself forward between Cye and Ryo, crossing her sickles and glaring daggers at the Warlord of Venom. "You three get back to the house and help the others. I'll take care of Sekhmet,"

"But, Kima-"

"Go!" She shouted angrily, glaring at Cye. "Go now before I do something I regret."

"Cye, buddy, let's go! Mia and Yulie need us!"

"Kima can take care of herself," Ryo threw in, grabbing Cye's arm and jerking him around in the other direction. Seconds later, the only two people that remained in the clearing were Kima and Sekhmet.

"Are you ready for me, Destroyer?"

"You've picked the wrong night to fuck with me, Sekhmet,"

...

"Black lightning flash!"

Dais shouted out in protest, shoving Claudia behind him as he struck out with the mourning star and created an illusion shield around them, giving Kayura the time she needed to power up another attack to stop him. Rowen and Sage were down, protecting Mia and Yulie as best as they could, but to little avail. Without their armors, they wouldn't be able to stand up to the back lashes of Cale's dark power attacks for much longer.

And Claudia had been hit in the last attack.

"Are you alright?" Dais asked, pulling her tight to his armored chest while they rode out Cale's latest attack. "Claudia?"

"Who are you?" She whispered weakly, out of breath and scared.

"Just hang on," He muttered as Kayura drew Cale off again. "You'll be fine,"

"There's no point protecting her!" Cale laughed, fending off Kayura's attack once again while Dais grabbed Claudia and leapt away, trying to keep them out of Cale's reach. The further he got her from his dark power, the better off she would be.

"My master wants her. And what my master wants, my master gets!"

"BACK OFF!" Ryo shouted as he and White Blaze broke from the darkness and attacked him at the same time, Kento and Cye soon joining in.

"Ronins, please!" Kayura protested, jumping in front of them and spinning her kusari-gama beside her. "Let those of us with armor deal with him. It's not safe for you,"

"Oh, but they're so eager to play!" Cale grabbed his sword and held it up, readying himself for another attack when a bright flash of light blinded him.

"DANCING BLADES!"

Cale cried out as Kima's attack hit him dead on, injuring him quite effectively and rendering him useless.

"D-Destroyer… you've come to play, too?" He muttered, struggling back to his feet. "Got past Sekhmet?"

Kima glared as she landed on the ground between Kayura and Dais, blood streaming steadily down her left arm.

"Sekhmet ran back home to lick his wounds, as should you. Leave here, Cale, or I will kill you," Kima said quietly, her eyes completely unreadable as she stared him down. "I'm sure your master would rather have you alive,"

"Of course," Cale smiled, standing erect and taking a stumbling step backwards. "I'm sure you realize that my master will not give up. We will be back," He glanced over towards Dais and frowned sadly. "I had hoped you would see reason, Dais, and join us. Your skills and strengths are wasted on these humans. Imagine the power-"

"I will never go back there," Dais hissed as Claudia collapsed behind him. He felt it and spun around, catching her before she could hit the ground. Cale laughed nastily as he took a few more steps backward and disappeared.

"The darkness shall consume you all in due time,"

"Claudia?" Dais whispered when Cale finally left. "Claudia? Claudia, wake up!"

"Is she alright?" Rowen asked as he slowly walked forward. "She's bleeding…"

"Her side is cut," Dais muttered as he reached out and touched her pale face with an armored hand. "Claudia?"

She moaned, shuddering as she awoke.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly as she rolled over and crawled away from him. "Claudia…"

"Who are you?" She demanded as Rowen took her arms and held her still so that he could examine her side. Dais stood up and walked over to her again, holding his hand out to her to help her up. She hesitated for a moment and then took it, wincing as he and Rowen pulled her onto her feet. The gash in her side was starting to radiate a nasty sting throughout her body that was becoming increasingly unpleasant.

"Are you alright? You scared me when you collapsed. What were you even doing here? I left you back at the apartment-"

Claudia jerked her arm free, stumbling back against Rowen's chest, her eyes wide in horror, her breathing hitching up. "Raj?"

Dais froze, swallowing thickly. "Yes," He whispered as he reached up and removed his helmet. "It's me…"

She gasped, staring at him in open mouthed shock. "Raj…You…you're…?" The shock vanished, replaced by a sick kind of loathing. "You're one of them? This whole time…? You lied to me…"

"Claudia," He reached out and she quickly backed away, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"You stay the hell away from me!"

"But-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Claudia screamed, falling into the grass and choking on a sob as the pain throbbed through her body.

"Claudia!" Rowen gasped, dropping down to his knees and pressing his hand gently to her side. "Be still or you'll aggravate it!"

"It hurts…"

"Just be still. Sage? Sage!" Rowen shouted, looking around frantically for his friend. "Sage, I need your help!"

Sage ran over, frowning a little as he knelt down and examined the wound. "Rowen, without my armor…"

"Try anyway!" Rowen growled, glaring up at Dais when he tried to come closer. "Back off! She said to stay away. She doesn't want you near her,"

Dais stopped, his shoulders slumping. "So be it," He growled, finally turning and moving towards the others.

"Hold her still. This won't be pleasant," Sage whispered as he pressed his hands to her side and closed his eyes, concentrating his mind completely on her wound. The second the power from his sub armor hit her, the pain intensified tenfold and she let out a gut wrenching scream that made even Kima flinch. Seconds later, Claudia collapsed again, though this time Rowen was there to catch her.

"Sage?"

"She'll be alright. She's going to be sore for a while, but she'll be alright. Let's get her inside and comfortable." Sage murmured, watching as Rowen picked Claudia up and carried her inside. Dais watched as well, but stayed close to Kayura, fighting off the emotion rising in him.

"I told you," Kayura whispered. "Dammit, Dais, I told you…"

"Kima…" Cye whispered as he walked towards her. "Kima, your arm. You're hurt!"

Growling in fury, she spun around, punching him square in the chest, the blow so powerful it sent him straight to the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?" She screamed in fury, glaring down at him.

...

End Chapter

...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_...Fifteen to twenty minutes earlier..._

"So you've sent your little dogs away, have you?" the Warlord of Venom snarled, raising his swords.

"They're irrelevant in this battle, Sekhmet. It's just you and me." Kima snapped back. "Besides, I don't need them to beat you."

Sekhmet cackled. "Are you insulting me, Destroyer? Well, then, let's see if your bite is as bad as your bark!"

As he charged forward with his two katanas, Kima readied her sickles. As the impact of the blow slid her backward, she used Sekhmet's force against him. Kima's counterattack sent him backward about ten yards. The female warrior made a graceful leap away from him after the impact. She thought it best to hit and run to reduce damage and poisoning.

Sliding back a few centimeters, she pushed off with the balls of her feet and shot toward Sekhmet. Kima held her arms behind her so that she could better throw her sickles. "Dancing Blades!"

The sickles met with Sekhmet arms, but that didn't seem to stop him. Smirking, he pulled his own blades from their sheathes. "Snake Fang Strike!"

The spell gave the illusion of six swords instead of just two. Kima had seen this technique many times in the past. A burst of overconfidence struck her at that moment. "Still using the same old tricks? I know that only two of those arms are real!"

"Ah, but did the power behind it remain the same? I'd say it's become greater, wouldn't you?"

Sekhmet darted toward Kima in an erratic pattern, as to confuse her. As he shot past her in one quick move, he was able to hit only her right arm and not the vital torso area that he'd been aiming for. The blonde hissed in pain as she turned to counter him.

"Dammit, I told you not to choose this battle, Sekhmet, but you did anyway! Now I'm going to have to kick your ass!" Kima shouted. An orb began to glow in her hand as it materialized into a familiar yari. "Wave Crusher!"

The water knocked the Warlord of Venom back with such force that his weapons were separated from him and the spell was broken. Sekhmet rose to his feet, panting from the blow. "So, you used Torrent's little trick. Cute. You may have won this battle, Destroyer, but you won't with the war alone."

Sekhmet disappeared in a swirl of dark smoke, leaving Kima alone. Turning back toward the log house, she ignored the steady burning of her arm and raced back the way she had come.

...

Cye was looking up at Kima with pure and plain shock written all over his face. She'd just punched him. "WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?"

"What are you talking about?" Cye asked in a strained voice. "What's the matter with you?"

"I'm bleeding and poisoned. I don't know what your excuse is for trying to fight Sekhmet without your armor. Did it piss you off that much that he was talking shit about me, Cye?" the blonde shouted.

The warrior of Torrent bristled a bit at her response. "The situation would've gone a bit better with my armor."

Kima slammed her helmet into the ground, strands of blonde hair falling into her face, her eyes ablaze with anger. "That doesn't change the way things turned out. You could've been hurt or even killed! Did any of that cross your mind?"

It was Kento who decided to enter into the conversation. "You're the one who took our armors, you bitch! This is your fault too! If we'd only have had our armors, then we could've taken care of this ourselves!"

The blonde warrior glared at the warrior of Hardrock, not bothering to move. He was right of course. If they'd have had their armors, Cale and Sekhmet would easily have been fended off. Shaking her head, Kima did her best not to let that sudden pang of guilt show at all. She then turned her attention to Dais, a malicious smirk rising to her face.

"So, you show interest in Claudia, huh? I should've figured it out sooner. Well, I must say that if it wasn't for you wanting to come out here tonight and pick a fight with me, Dais, things wouldn't have ended so well. I guess I have you to thank for that."

Dais sneered back at her from Kayura's side. "So you were the one feeding her information and getting her to play your game? You really are a bitch, Kima. You have her going out believing that she's getting closer to her brother while you sit in the shadows and pull the strings."

"Kima, is that true?" Cye asked, swallowing as he feared the answer. "Did you give Claudia information about us?"

"I had no choice." She replied in a level tone. "While I'm getting closer to the truth, I knew she was going to become a target sooner or later. I brought her here so that I could better keep an eye on her. Her knowing Dais just happened to be in the mix."

Mia's eyes softened as she looked at the woman who used to fight with her friends and be her friend as well. "Come on, Kima. What you've done may not be easy to forgive, but you can't fight all on your own. Let the Ronin Warriors help you."

Ryo nodded in agreement. "You may have taken away our burden of fighting, but you also took away an important part of who we are. We're connected to our armors just as much as you are. Why don't you divide up the power among us again? You can't take this evil on all by yourself."

A sudden anger leapt to her eyes as an unfamiliar burning joined it. Cye knew what it was the moment he saw the tears collecting in her blue eyes. He sensed some nurtured hurt deep in her heart, but it was unwilling to be pulled to the surface. The warrior of Torrent also noticed the trembling of her small frame as she tried to suppress her feelings. He knew that Ryo was about to be in for an ear full.

"Then why did you think I volunteered to take on the responsibility of all the armors if we're all so connected to them? I'd say ask Shuten, but he's not here!" she shouted, her angry tears falling in trails down her cheeks. "I took on this responsibility so you wouldn't have to."

"That's the thing, Kima! We didn't ask you to!" Kento shouted. "We'd have been just fine with them all along! You decided that all on your own!"

The blonde was now shaking uncontrollably with her pinned in rage. "So I just _wasted_ all these years? I spent all these years patrolling and acting like fucking _batman_ so that you could all have normal lives and that was a _waste_? I don't believe you! Thanks for the pep talk, minna, but I think I'll keep doing what I do best."

Cye took a step forward as he felt her heart almost breaking as she turned away to leave. "Kima, onegai. Don't go. Stay with us and let us help you with this new enemy."

Kima looked at him with a semi hurt expression, but her voice was still solid, though angry. "Arigatou, Cye. I'll handle this by myself."

She was gone in the next moment through the trees. The warrior of Torrent stared after her for several minutes. When silence permeated the area, Dais decided that he was going to be the first to speak.

"Go talk to her, Torrent. She's gone beyond all reason with this stupid ordeal. Kima thinks she's got to make herself some sort of damn martyr or something to make everything right. I hate to tell her, but she's not going to be able to fight this alone."

"I tried to tell the dumb bitch the same thing, but do you think she'd listen to me? No!" Kento fumed.

"Kento! Don't talk about her like that! I'm sure Kima's got her reasons for doing what she did. She's just hurt right now." Cye defended.

The warrior of Hardrock's face turned red before his next reply. "Don't try to take up for her, Cye! Do you think she'd have stayed out of touch with us and even gone so far as to _hide_ from us if she gave a damn about you?"

Cye was silent as Dais brought out his phone and began punching in Kima's address into his phone, sending it the auburn-haired man a few seconds later. "There. There's where you can find Kima. Talk some sense into the girl, would you? I'd hate to have to punch her in the mouth to add to the scar."

He merely nodded as he shed his sub armor. This might be harder than he thought, even though he knew where to find Kima now. What in the name of God was he even going to say?

...

She didn't even bother to shed her armor before she collapsed into a sobbing mess on the couch. Her entire body was aching with the sting of poison and her heart hurt with the fact that she may have made a mistake in choosing to go things alone. Kima knew that if she didn't take care of the wound quickly, the poison would spread and then there would be no hope of stopping it. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to. She was just so tired.

_Where are we? What the Hell is going on?_

_The dust has only just begun to fall_

_Crop circles in the carpet, sinking feeling_

_Spin me round again and rub my eyes_

_This can't be happening_

_When busy streets a mess with people_

_Would stop to hold their heads heavy _

After knocking on the door several times, he was starting to get worried. Perhaps she'd passed out? Cye pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and sorted through it to pull out a credit card. He looked carefully down both ends of the hall before sliding it through the lock. When he heard the light click, he turned the handle gently and pushed the door open. There was Kima in a pair of black sweat pants and a white tank top and ready to attack him. He noticed how much she was sweating. It must have been the poison.

_Hide and seek_

_Trains and sewing machines_

_All those years they were here first_

Kima heard the lock release on her front door and the knob turn. Quicker than she should've moved, she was at the door ready to attack the intruder. She was quite surprised to see Cye standing there examining her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him flatly.

"That's a fine greeting for someone who followed you back to check on you." He replied.

"I'm sorry, Cye." She whispered, turning away from him. "Thank you very much. I appreciate it. I can take care of myself, but you're welcome to come in and have a seat if you like."

_Oily marks appear on walls_

_Where pleasure moments hung before_

_The takeover, the sweeping insensitivity of this_

_Still life_

Cye made his way into the living room of the apartment, which was pretty spacious. Kima had a seat on the sofa, but made no move to clean the wound in her arm, so he took a seat beside her and opened the first aid kit that she'd obviously taken out to start the cleaning process.

Kima looked at him with an expression that he hadn't seen in a long time: surprise. "Oh, you really don't have to do that, Cye. I can get it myself."

"Why haven't you done it then?" he asked her. "You're one hell of a wound dresser, Kima. You'd normally have had this done by now."

The blonde looked down. "I know. I know, but I've been thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Cye asked, a frown settling on his face. "Not what I hope you're not."

Her head shot up at that. "What? No. I was just thinking of what a mess I've made. That wasn't even my intention, Cye. I just meant to give you guys peace and freedom. Instead, I've become a hermit who uses an alias most of the time. I just…I don't know what I wanted…"

_Hide and seek_

_Trains and sewing machines (Oh, you won't catch me around here)_

_Blood and tears_

_They were here first_

"Have you kept all this to yourself, Kima?" Cye asked. "It must've been hard being by yourself."

"It wasn't so bad." She said, lying through her teeth. "I've made due. I worked for the government a few times gathering information."

"A regular James Bond." he commented with a chuckle. "I'm afraid you're not telling the truth though. You know I'm empathic, Kima. You should know by now that I know what you're really feeling whether you do or not."

"I…hated being by myself. I missed being around you guys." Kima blurted, the hard exterior shell cracking for a moment. "I was bitter about so many things. My scar being one of them. I couldn't help it. I was afraid…"

"Afraid of what?"

_Mmm, what you say?_

_Mm, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did_

_Mmm, what you say?_

_Mm, that it's all for the best? Ah, of course it is_

_Mmm, what you say?_

_Mm, that it's just what we need? And you decided this_

_Mmm, what you say?_

_What did she say?_

"I was afraid that I would lose my friends." She said, wincing as Cye applied peroxide to her wound. "I was…"

Cye mercilessly scrubbed the wound with the alcohol that he'd found in the first aid kit, taking out his bit of anger. "You were what? Too stubborn to ask us for help?"

Kima looked away, anger flooding back into her face. "I didn't want to put you in any more danger, Cye. I…cared too much about you."

Scrubbing the wound relentlessly, he clenched his teeth before bothering to reply. "If you weren't a girl, I'd slug you right here. You cared? So you couldn't give two shits now? Is that what you're saying?"

"Don't put words in my mouth, Cye." She snapped. "I still do, okay. I resorted to stalker-like tendencies to make sure you were okay. And just to let you know, Suki was in jail for six months three years ago for drug charges."

"What?" Cye asked, open-mouthed. "How did you—"

"What can I say. I'm good at what I do." She informed him proudly. "I can find information on anyone I have a name for. I've been checking up on you, Cye. I missed you and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"What does that mean then, Kima?" he inquire, slathering the slice with ointment gently. "What does that mean for us?"

The blonde was silent, feeling the stinging sensation coming back to her eyes. "I-I don't know. What it turns into is hard to tell, Cye."

_Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth_

_Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs_

_Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you_

_You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit._

_Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth_

_Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs_

_Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you_

_You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit._

Cye gently wrapped her arm in a bandage. His thoughts were traveling a mile a minute, almost fast enough to cause the lightning to strike behind his eyes. He wasn't sure what he felt. His heart was pounding so fast that is was almost hard to breathe.

"Why plan it then? Why not pick up where we left off?"

"That was years ago, Cye. Wouldn't that be…well…weird?"

He shook his head. "I don't think it would be. I just want you to know that I've never forgotten about you. Not since the moment you disappeared."

"Neither have I, Cye. You don't know how many times I just wanted to pick up the phone—" Kima started.

"Then why didn't you? You could've at any time, you know. I waited for you to, actually. I hoped every day that you would."

Kima looked him in the eye before she spoke and he could tell that she was getting nervous about the subject matter. "I wanted to. You have no idea how much I wanted to. I was afraid that you were angry with me. I didn't want to face that."

The warrior of Torrent couldn't stand it any longer. He placed his hands on either side of her face and drew closer to her, capturing her lips with his.

_You don't care a bit._

_You don't care a bit._

_You don't care a bit._

_You don't care a bit._

_You don't care a bit._

_You don't care a bit._

Kima finally pulled back after a moment and blinked in drowsy surprise. Cye's cheeks were colored in the same bright blush as hers. The two of them sat in silence for a moment before Kima hid her face in her hands. Cye rubbed her arms gently before she pulled away.

"Cye, I think you should go."

"Kima, I'm sorry. I—"

"Onegai shimas, Cye. I'll call you in the morning, okay?" she pleaded.

Cye nodded as he rose to leave. Kima walked him to the door and he hovered there for a few moments, not moving. "You won't disappear again, will you?"

"Iie. I promise. I'm not letting you go this time, Cye." She told him.

"You'll come back and talk to the others won't you?"

Kima made a face. "I'm not sure about all that. Let's start with me calling you in the morning."

Cye smiled. "That sounds like a plan. Oyasumi, Kima."

"Oyasumi nasai, Cye." She said, giving him a short peck on the lips. As soon as he was out the door and out of sight, she closed the door and locked it, sliding down to the floor to fall into emotional collapse.

...

End Chapter


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Rowen slowed to a halt outside of the doorway and stared into the room for a moment before leaning against the door frame. Dais was slouched in a chair in the guest room, close enough to Claudia to see her chest rise and fall evenly underneath the blankets Mia had tucked around her. She'd been pale before, but even in the dim light of the room, it could be seen that some color was returning to her cheeks.

Dais, on the other hand, looked down right miserable.

"How is she?"

"Better," Dais murmured, barely moving to acknowledge Rowen's presence behind him. "Her breathing is no longer labored and some color has returned to her skin."

"That's good," Rowen said quietly, his eyes drifting from Dais back to Claudia and lingering there for quite some time. "You care a lot about her,"

"Why don't you sit with her," Dais said abruptly, leaving his chair and brushing passed Rowen in the doorway. "She doesn't want me anywhere near her right now."

Rowen didn't have a chance to protest before Dais was already making his way down the stairs. Sighing quietly, Rowen turned back towards Claudia and collapsed in the chair, content to avoid whatever blowout was about to take place down stairs. The guys were seething over this, but even Kayura looked about to blow. She was riled up about something, and his instincts told him that Dais was about to get the brunt of it.

That was fine with him. He had listened to his fair share of all of the fighting so far and quite frankly, he was over it. He was more of a strategist anyway. All they were talking downstairs right now was whose fault it was and why nothing had been done to begin with. Not to mention Kento was running his mouth about Kima since Cye had run off after her.

Dais wouldn't hear the end of that, either, since he had provided Cye with her address…

...

He'd barely stepped into the room before Kayura was on him like a box of paperclips to a super charged magnet.

"And you! Idiot! Moron! SAP! IDIOT!" Kayura punched him hard in the chest, causing him to stumble back a half step. "Do you have any idea what kind of crap you could have gotten us into? What the hell are you doing with her anyway? Are you crazy!"

"Someone needed to look after her," Dais growled, shoving her aside as he moved to stand near the window.

"And why the hell did it need to be you? You idiot, they can track you just as easily as they can track any one of us! You're like a homing beacon leading them straight to her!" Kayura moved towards him again while the rest of the room's occupants just watched in mild confusion. "I told you to stay out of this one!"

"Kayura, shut up!" Dais growled, turning on his heel to face her. "They can track her just as easily as the rest of us. My presence in her life has neither added nor subtracted from that!"

Kayura huffed, clearly frustrated. "You idiot! Why did you have to get attached?"

"Why do you have to be such an insufferable bitch?"

"You son of a-"

"OKAY!" Mia leapt to her feet, jumping between the both of them. "Stop it, both of you! This is so stupid! There's too much else to be discussed right now that we don't have the time for the two of you to be bickering. Dais is right, if the Dynasty wanted her, they would have gotten to her eventually, with or without Dais being there. Quite frankly, I'm glad he was there, otherwise they might have actually gotten what they wanted. Now, both of you, have a seat so we can figure this thing out,"

Dais and Kayura glared at each other and continued to do so even after taking seats opposite each other.

"Let's start with the obvious question; why is the Dynasty after Claudia?" Ryo offered as he got up from his spot on one of the couches and moved behind it to stand at the head of the room.

"She's a direct descendant of Anubis' family," Dais and Kayura, as well as Mia and Sage muttered at one time.

"Alright, so she's part of Anubis' family. Meaning that so is her brother, which is obvious considering how much like Anubis that kid looks. Now what do we know about him?"

"He disappeared shortly after the Dynasty first appeared all those years ago," Mia offered. "It's the whole reason Claudia came to Japan,"

"Exactly. Meaning it's likely the Dynasty already has Dorian. It also means that, whatever they needed him for, he obviously isn't enough."

Dais and Kayura both blinked and glanced at Ryo, but said nothing.

"And they need Claudia to aid in whatever the hell it is they're doing?" Kento ventured angrily. "Dude, that's low! What the hell are they up to? I mean, seriously, what more damage could they do!"

"A whole lot more," Dais muttered, glancing briefly at Kento before getting up again only to head back towards the window. "Whatever the plan may be, Cale and Sekhmet are pretty well ensnared again. I never truly believed they would be able to resist forever, but I had hoped that maybe…"

"So did I," Kayura admitted, sighing quietly. "Our main focus now is to be on thwarting whatever it is that they are planning to do. And in order to do that-"

"We have to keep Claudia under constant watch," Sage growled quietly. "Especially if she's the main piece to their puzzle."

"Ok, so we keep an eye on Claudia and keep her out of trouble," Ryo nodded curtly. "In the meantime, we need to find out more about her brother and Anubis' family line. Not to mention anything and everything we can about the Dynasty's current plan of attack. I trust you guys can handle that?"

"I'll take care of it," Kayura said as she climbed to her feet. "I can move freely between both worlds thanks to Anubis and the Ancient One. However; Dais shall remain. Without your armors, you aren't going to be of much use. You'll need his armor to help protect Claudia, whether she likes it or not. And whether you like it or not. I will be in touch,"

Kayura was slipping out of the front door just as Cye was walking back in through it.

"Where's Kayura going?" Cye asked as he came into the room and stared around at the dim faced expressions on all of his friends.

"She's going to find out as much about what's going on as she can," Ryo said quietly. "Did you find Kima?"

"Yeah," Cye nodded, folding his arms over his chest. "We had a nice long chat. She's going to let us help her after all."

Kento made a rude sound which was rewarded by a nasty glare from both Cye and Mia.

"There's blood on your shirt," Mia murmured as she got up and walked over to him, tugging on it. "Let me clean it before it stains,"

Cye nodded and shrugged out of the shirt, sighing heavily. "She's alright. She let me clean and dress the wound before the poison could spread too far. It'll siphon its way out of her system by the morning." Cye glanced towards Dais. "How is Claudia?"

"Still unconscious, but getting better."

"She'll be sore for a while," Sage admitted a second later. "Cale's dark energy isn't something you can just recover from. It lingers for a while,"

Cye nodded faintly as Mia came back into the room, draping a clean shirt over his shoulder.

"She just needs rest," Mia offered, glancing at Dais. "And I'm sure all of this was a lot for her to take in at once. She'll need time, but she'll get through it,"

Dais glanced at Mia and nodded, though he wasn't completely convinced of that. At least, when it came to his part in her life.

...

_Claudia…_

_ She groaned quietly as she sat up and looked around. She was sitting in a bed of grass and surrounded by trees and bushes, the air was moist and the sun had long since gone down. She was sitting in a forest…but why?_

_ Claudia…_

_ "Dorian?" She murmured as she climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. "Dorian, is that you? Where are you?"_

_ A cool breeze swept through the trees and she shivered violently. She didn't like the feel of that wind, nor the eerie fog that came with it, yet something in it pulled at her. Claudia followed that breeze for at least fifteen minutes before the fog finally started to thin out._

_ In the distance a great shadow formed that made her nervous._

_ "Dorian? Dorian?"_

_ Inside Claudia…_

_ "Inside?" Claudia walked in a small circle and gasped as she turned back towards the shadow that was now an enormous red gate towering hundreds of feet into the air. "Oh my God…"_

_ You have to open the gate, Claudia. You have to open it to let me out. I'm trapped in here. Claudia, you have to come open the gate._

_ "I have to open the gate,"_

...

"I have to open the gate,"

Rowen's head jerked up from his book as he heard Claudia's voice faintly from the bed. "Claudia?"

"I have to open the…gate…" She stared over at him and, startled, screamed bloody murder, scrambling towards the other side of the bed and regretting the movement dearly. "WHO ARE YOU!"

"Whoa! Claudia, it's me! It's Rowen!"

The sound of thunder could be heard as a stampede of people came careening up the stairs towards the room. Dais was the first across the threshold to reach Claudia and calm her.

"What the hell happened?" Sage asked as they watched Dais try to get Claudia to recompose herself.

"I don't know. She muttered something in her sleep then woke up and freaked out about me being in the room,"

"Temporary disorientation," Sage murmured. "It happens when you deal with Cale. Is she alright?"

Dais nodded while Claudia struggled to keep her balance without his help. She seemed to suddenly remember that she was mad at him but her body was so weak that it couldn't really support her on its own.

"Get away from me!" She swatted at him and nearly fell over, which only pissed her off.

"Out! Everybody out!" Mia announced as she walked over to Claudia and threw her arms around her shoulders to steady her. Claudia didn't fight against that support. "I said out!"

When the rest of the group made a beeline for the door at long last, Mia lead Claudia back to the bed and helped her get comfortable. "You're going to have to take it easy for the next couple of days. You were hurt pretty badly."

"Raj, that…that jerk! He lied to me!" Claudia growled, trying to calm down and relax. She was hurting and she was not happy about it. And then she remembered her dream. "That place…the Dynasty…"

"What about it?"

"That's where Dorian is, isn't it? You said he didn't come back, so he's still there,"

Mia nodded. "It's a possibility."

"He's there. He's waiting for me to come and save him,"

"You really think so?"

Claudia nodded as exhaustion began to pull her under again. "He told me…he said I needed…to…"

Mia sat there for a moment in slight surprise, unsure of what Claudia was going to say and even more unsure of whether or not she would have liked hearing the rest.

She needed to do what?

...

End Chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The sunlight shining through the windows could only mean one thing. The warrior of Destruction groaned as she felt a pounding in her head as an after affect of Sekhmet's poison. Luckily, Cye had cleaned and dressed the wound in time. Cracking a cerulean eye open, Kima managed to drag herself into a sitting position. She didn't even feel this bad after a night of heavy drinking.

Her thoughts flew swiftly back to the night before. Cye had followed her back to her pent house to make sure that she was alright after her battles with Sekhmet and Cale. They'd talked a bit and decided that it was time to move forward, even though they were still a bit wary of one another due to past events. She really couldn't blame him. She'd taken actions without permission that stripped them of their only line of defense and she knew that Kento was still openly angry with her at least.

Sighing, the blonde picked up the phone. She'd promised Cye that she'd call him in the morning at it was time to make good on that promise. Grabbing her cell phone, she found the contact that she'd had in her list for years but never called it. Putting the phone up to her ear, she listened to it ring.

_"Moshi moshi?"_

"Ohaiyo, Cye." She answered quietly.

The other end was silent for a moment. _"Kima? How are you feeling this morning?"_

"Like I drank way too much last night. My head is killing me." The blonde replied honestly.

A warm chuckle answered her. _"As honest as always, I see. I'm glad you're alright."_

Kima didn't say anything for a moment or two. "How's Claudia?"

_"She's a little sore. She was a little disoriented, but other than that, she's okay."_

"Good. I was worried."

_"Are you going to come to Mia's? I told the others that you'd be up sometime today."_ Cye asked innocently.

Kima cursed under her breath. Cye had tricked her. He was getting as bad as Dais. "I suppose. I don't know, though. Kento wouldn't be too happy to see me."

_"Kento can shove off."_ Cye answered quickly in a tight voice. _"We're all waiting to hear your side of the story, love. I've got to admit, you even had me confused."_

"That's not hard to do." Kima answered playfully. "Anyway, I'll be up in about an hour. You'd better warn Kento that I'm coming and to control his temper. Otherwise, I might have to kick his ass."

_"Alright. Will do, boss." _Cye laughed. _"I'll see you in a bit. Ja."_

The line went dead and Kima closed her phone. Pulling herself out of bed, she yanked the band out of her hair and combed her fingers through it. If she was going to see the Ronins after all this time, she'd have to treat it like meeting them for the first time. That meant looking decent. She sighed again as she made her way to the bathroom to take care of what little primping she needed to do.

...

All eyes were on Cye even though he'd stepped into the kitchen to take the call. He'd managed to convince Kima to meet them so she could at least explain what had happened with their armors. She'd be at Mia's in less than an hour now. All the Ronins, Mia, Yulie, and Dais were staring at him all waiting for an answer.

"What?" he finally blurted in a bewildered manner.

"Who were you on the phone with?" Yulie asked in a sing-song manner.

Cye's cheeks flushed as he lowered his eyes to the floor. "I was talking to Kima if you have to know."

"What did that hussy want?" Kento asked in a cross manner.

"She's coming up here to at least explain to us what happened when she took the armors, if you must know." He snapped in reply. "And I was given instructions that if you didn't hold your temper, Kento, she'd kick your ass before leaving without telling us anything."

"Why that—"

"Cool it, Kento." Ryo warned. "We need answers and Kima's the only one who can give them to us. If she's going to let us help her, we'll need to know how to get our armors back."

The warrior of Hardrock crossed his arms over his chest. "I still don't have to like it."

"As much as I hate to admit it," Sage began, "Ryo's right. We can't find out how to get our armors back without her. As much as we don't like the bitch, we need Kima."

Cye was about to scold him when a light smile crossed his face. There was a faint knock at the door and Mia was on her feet to get it before he could. Mass chaos was about to spread through the lake house and he knew it. It would only be a matter of time.

...

As Kima slowed her vehicle to a stop in the driveway, the butterflies in her stomach were acting up once again. She had no idea of how to stop them and, therefore, tried her best to ignore them. Jesus only knew that Kento would start running his mouth the moment she walked in the door and she was prepared for that. What she wasn't prepared for was the harsh words Sage would utter once she began her story.

She exited the car with a slight slamming of the door. Pausing a moment as she stared at the door of Mia's house, she took another deep breath before starting up the walk. White Blaze was on the porch dozing in the sun. He lifted his head off of his giant paws to acknowledge her presence before laying his head back down. She could hear the arguing from the door and knew it was because of her. She lifted her hand and knocked lightly.

A few seconds later, Mia was standing at the door with a nostalgic look on her face and happy tears in her eyes. The older woman hadn't seen her in seven years, so she understood somewhat. The brunette hugged her warmly as she looked her over carefully, noticing that she hadn't bothered to try and hide her scar anymore.

"You've really grown up, Kima. I can't believe the lady you've turned into." She gushed as she stepped aside to welcome her in.

Kima gave her a small smile as she stepped over the threshold, praying not to be glared to death. "Thank you, Mia. It's been a long time."

"Too long. Why don't you have a seat and I'll make some tea?"

Mia had fed her to the tigers already as she left her alone with the Ronins. Dais was also present, so this would make for a wonderful afternoon. She spotted Cye and he apparently picked up on her apprehension, for he came to sit down next to her on the sofa. He placed a hand on her knee, hoping to comfort her. Kima glanced around the room and saw the dark looks on Kento and Sage's faces. Ryo looked happy enough and Rowen remained neutral. Dais, she couldn't help but notice, was gloating somewhat.

"It's been a while guys." She said softly.

"Not long enough, if you ask me." Kento mumbled.

Kima sighed. "Look, if you don't want me here, Kento, I'll leave. I have no problem leaving without telling you anything."

Rowen shot a glare to Kento before speaking. "Don't leave, Kima. I know from what you told me the last time we saw each other that you've missed interaction with people; especially us. Please, Kima. We need to hear this from you."

The blonde nodded as Mia came back into the room, joined by Yulie, with the tea. She poured and distributed the hot beverage. Silence hung over the room as they were all waiting for Kima to speak.

"You really want to hear my side of what happened?"

More silence followed by a collective nod. Taking a deep breath, Kima began her tale.

...

_Seven years earlier…_

_ The final battle with Talpa was finally over. The other minor battles had been completed. It was time. Anubis had left her all of the necessary instructions for combining the powers of the five armors with that of the Armor of Destruction. A lone figure sat in the middle of a ring of torches, the only light present being that of the flickering flames. A nervousness settled over the girl as she sat in a meditative state._

_ "I, Kima of Destruction, call upon the power of the Ancients to assist me in carrying out my wish." The girl chanted, the wind picking up enough to cause the torch light to flicker._

_ "I call all the armors to mine to combine into one. The torch of spirit sought through five."_

_ The flame of the five torches turned a different color, the red flame burning the brightest. "Drinking strength from immortal fire."_

_ The red flame shot from its torch and hovered around her gently, glowing like a small candle. "The darkest prison sheds the light."_

_ The green flame danced its way to Kima, taking a place beside its red comrade. "Burning in a throne of rock."_

_ The orange flame was a bit hesitant to approach her, but when it finally did, its size increased as it shown beside the others. "Churning beneath a swirl of salt."_

_ The sea blue flame came to a stop in front of her, casting an almost loving glow over her face. She cupped it in her hands for a few moments before smiling sadly and continuing. "Floating among the eyes of the ages unmoored by the stream of the sky."_

_ Once the dark blue flame joined the others, the ring of flame began to dance wildly around her. Kima rose to her feet, adorned in her black and silver sub armor, and held out her arms as if to welcome them to her. One by one, the flames entered her body, causing a recoil each time. When they'd all passed into her body and the small chamber was dark, Kima was left on her hands and knees panting for the breath that was stolen from her. _

_ "So that's it. I'm the sole bearer of the armors now. The guys can carry out their dreams like they always wanted to." She murmured, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling. "It's done."_

_..._

_Six months later…_

_ Explaining to her mother why she was moving to Tokyo hadn't been easy. She hadn't divulged the truth to her that she was one of the chosen to wear legendary armor. Her mother was a very understanding woman, but she had her standards. Kima had instead told her that she'd received a grant to attend Tokyo University to major in intelligence and was moving there to take a job to pay for lodging. That had gone over better._

_ Looking around her small apartment, Kima gave a disheartened sigh. She hadn't heard from any of the other Ronins, but then again, she hadn't expected to. The blonde had disappeared quite suddenly and without many details. Cye had tried to call her several times, but she couldn't quite gather up the courage to answer the phone. Since the time she'd assimilated their armors with hers, she'd felt that she was the single guardian of the planet now. Kayura had come to her in visions every now and then, telling her that she shouldn't take on such a big responsibility, but she refused to listen. What was done was done._

_ From the voicemails Cye had left, the others were pretty angry with her. She could understand that. She'd taken away their only defense against the Netherworld should it decide to come rearing its ugly head once again. It wasn't as if she'd done it out of spite. She'd done it for their benefit, right? The ringing of her phone brought her out of her daze._

_ "Moshi moshi?"_

_ "Dear, it's your mother. I was calling to see if you'd gotten moved in alright."_

_ A small smile crossed her face. "Everything's fine, Kaa-san. I've gotten all moved in, I was just starting to unpack."_

_ "Sugoi!" Her mother exclaimed. "It's so good that you have so many boy friends to help you move your things. Tell them I said hello."_

_ "Hai, I will."_

_ Hanging up the phone, Kima began to wonder if she'd done the right thing after all in sacrificing her friendship for their happiness._

...

"You performed a ritual?" Sage spat. "Who taught you to do that?"

Kima took a sip of her tea before answering. "Anubis did while he was taking on the role of the Ancient. I merely followed his instructions."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Kento shouted. "You took our armors away without asking and then disappeared for seven years! That's non speaking terms if you ask me!"

The blonde sighed as she sat her cup down gently. "I understand that you're all angry with me. I know you are or else you all wouldn't look so murderous right now. I was a young teenager at the time I performed the ritual and I thought it was the right thing to do. I'm sorry if it wasn't."

"Then you can show that you're sorry by giving our armors back!" Kento barked, very close to Kima's face.

"I can't do that. They've been in my possession so long now, the effects of holding that much power again could be devastating for you. I don't know what it would do to me either. The most I can do right now is to try and give your powers back to you in small doses."

Rowen sat up straight for a moment, slightly in awe. "You can give it back to us little by little?"

A skeptical look came across Kima's face. "I'm not sure if it will work, Rowen. I can't be sure if it'll work that way. I may not be able to give it back in small bits."

"Now's the time to try then, wouldn't you agree?" Ryo asked, taking a sip of his tea. "You could use the shrine out back."

The blonde noticed the lack of noise. That was a good indication that she should go out back to the shrine and try. Slowly rising from her place on the sofa, Kima noticed how closely Cye was following her. She let herself out the backdoor and made her way toward the shrine in the forest.

"You don't have to come with me, you know."

The auburn-haired man shook his head. "I don't think so. We don't know what would happen if you try to give us back our powers. It might be best if somebody waited outside with you."

The short walk to the shrine was made in silence. Kima left Cye standing at the entrance. Flicking her long hair over her shoulder, the blonde made her way to the center of the small room and lowered herself into a meditative state. She wasn't quite sure how she should go about this or how long it would take, but she had to give it a try.

A sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes. She tried to clear her mind of any thoughts, but it was like the exact opposite had happened and they ran freely like electrical current through a circuit. Kima didn't know how to go about just _giving_ the Ronins some of their powers back. She simply began thinking about the Ronin Warriors with their powers back. That's when she felt a link like a lightning shock open within her body.

She gasped, doubling over and causing Cye to look in on her. The five flames ripped themselves from her body, instantly putting her in her sub armor. Each of the flames had a piece break off and shoot away from the shrine. Afterward, the flames slammed back into her body, causing her to fall over, her chest heaving for air. Kima felt the bile rise in her throat and didn't feel the least bit guilty when it exited her mouth to the floor.

Cye was stunned for a moment because of the sudden surge of power that made him weak in the knees. That didn't delay him long as he made his way into the shrine. Kima was laying on her side, her hair hiding most of her face. Her chest was heaving up and down trying to recover the air she'd lost. She'd done it. Cye knelt down and lifted her into his arms, exiting the shrine.

"You don't have to do this, you know." Kima murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Of course I do. You're in no shape to walk and I can't leave you in the shrine." Cye replied with a smile as he looked down at the top of her head. "What did you do, anyway?"

"I'm not sure exactly." Kima said, nestling into him without realizing it. "It felt like a current was opened in me and lightning hit it. I was telling each little light where to go. I remember the day those lights came to me."

Cye hugged her a little tighter as they made their way through the trees. "You need to rest."

Kima shook her head. "I should go. The guys don't want me here."

"No. You're in no shape to drive. Mia won't have a problem fixing you up here until you feel better. Don't worry about the others. I'll tell them what's going on. You just sleep."

The blonde knew that she wouldn't be able to argue with the warrior of Torrent. As she laid her head back on his shoulder, she felt herself dozing off until she wasn't aware of anything around her anymore.

_ "You can't keep giving the power back little by little, Destroyer. Either give it back or keep it. Otherwise, it will be the end of you."_

...

End Chapter


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The sun was barely rising on the horizon, it's first brilliant orange rays appearing from beyond the trees of the forest that surrounded the Koji estate and shining upwards towards the purple, black and blue sky. There was a heavy fog forming within the forest and it was slowly starting to float through the trees towards the house. It was an ominous yet beautiful scene, though Claudia couldn't muster up the strength to admire or worry at either part.

All she could think was, "Is that where it is?"

White Blaze was with her on the balcony, curled around her bare legs in an attempt to keep her somewhat warm out in the cold. Kima was now sharing the same bed, and while she was out cold from exhaustion, the fight that had begun the night before was still going strong.

Claudia sighed quietly as she turned to look back into the house, hearing Kento's bulbous voice from all the way in the family room. Of all of the things they could be fighting about, it was Kima. Kima, who had done them all a favor by taking away the burden of their armors, only to be bitched at and hated because of what she'd done. It was a task that had been assigned to her. She didn't choose it. Well, not selfishly anyway.

Growling in frustration as Kento's voice rose to octaves above what was considered a polite inside voice, Claudia's temper finally slipped its leash.

"You blistering, bumbling, idiotic monkey!" She shouted as she stomped down the stairs and strode into the family room where the house's current residents were all gathered. They were surprised by the sudden interruption as Claudia's intimidating female figure filled the doorway, immediately heading for Kento's bulky, toned hulk of body.

"Oh, look, another harpy coming to show off her balls! Drop it, sweetheart, you don't get a say in this conversation!"

"Kento, I will beat your hard rock into sand if you don't shut your mouth!" Dais hissed nastily, seconds before Claudia came to a complete stop in front of Kento.

"Oh, no, Raj, it's fine. Someone in this room has to have the balls enough to tell this baboon to shut the hell up! Might as well be me. So shut the hell up! God, you ass holes! Kima did what she did to help you, not hinder you. She didn't want you to have the burden of your armors for the rest of your lives, and I highly doubt it was a fate she chose on her own! Seriously! The Destroyer? Come on! I don't see Kima as the type of girl that grows up with the dream of being known as the Destroyer!"

"Oh what the fuck would you know? A tramp like you-OWE YOU BITCH!"

Claudia shook her hand out as Kento hit the hardwood flooring with a slam, his nose gushing blood from the heavy punch Claudia had thrown at him.

While several of the household ran to help him, Dais stood near the window, cackling warmly in amusement.

"I keep forgetting to mention that mean right hook you've got,"

Claudia glared at him for a moment before she felt Cye and Rowen behind her.

"Note to self; don't piss off Claudia," Rowen muttered as he grabbed her by the wrist and examined her knuckles. "With a nose like Kento's, you're bound to bruise,"

Claudia snatched her hand away and growled at him. "You want to avoid pissing me off? Show Kima some god damned respect!"

"You don't know anything about what's going on here! You don't have a clue!"

"Then why don't you clue me in, dumb ass! Since apparently the person who told Kima she had to do what she did was my fucking great grandfather!"

"She has a point," Dais said smugly, perching himself in the window sill and smirking over at Kento.

"Oh, don't be so smug, you ass! How long have you known about that and not told me? You sorry sack of crap!"

Great, now _he_ was under fire. It was Kento's turn to snigger.

"It was for your own good," Dais winced after he said it. He knew better than to say something like that to her and then out it slipped anyway.

She shook her head, her lips slightly parted as she looked at him. There was no glare, no anger, just a hurt yet annoyed look that made his chest tighten a little. Now he was in trouble.

"For my own good…I'm sorry. I must have missed the memo on you becoming my father, who, by the way, might not be as big an asshole as I used to think when compared to you!" Claudia turned around sharply and cried out, falling against the couch. Dais reached out to support her but she slapped his hands away. "I'm fine! Don't touch me!"

"Didn't sound like you were fine!"

Claudia shoved him away, hard, and huffed and puffed in agitation. The sharp turn had pulled at the wound on her side and while it had felt like it had been ripped open again, there was no blood and the pain that had been immediately sharp had dulled out to a low throb. There was a strange sensation of warmth and a light green kind of glow before it was fine again.

Sage, blinking in surprise, stared down at his hands and the green glow there. He could feel it now, a little more of the strength of his armor he'd once possessed had returned, which would explain Claudia's quick recovery. Some of that power must have transferred to her because of what he'd tried to do two nights before when she'd been injured.

Rowen had a look of surprise on his face as well and was staring at his own hands, though the others in the room didn't seem to have been effected at all.

"You felt it, too?" Sage asked as he met Rowen's eyes.

"Yeah," Slightly unnerved, Rowen closed his eyes, squeezed his palms and merely thought about his sub armor and it appeared. "That was a lot easier than it has been…I didn't even really have to concentrate. I just imagined myself in it and here I am…"

Sage smiled softly in reverence. "It worked. Whatever Kima did last night, it's working,"

"What exactly did Kima do?" Claudia questioned, now caught by curiosity. "Why is she so weak?"

"Yeah, here's a question; how the hell do you know Kima?" Kento growled out, shoving a towel to his bleeding nose.

Claudia glared at him. "She hired me,"

"To do what?" Sage growled.

"To spy on your ugly poofy haired ass. What else? She said she had information on my brother and that she could help me find him," Claudia looked at Dais and shook her head.

"She hired you to spy on us?" Cye asked, surprised.

"No. She hired me to see if you knew anything she didn't know. And to make sure you all were doing fine. Which, obviously, you are. From what I can tell after what happened the other night, she's wasting her time on ungrateful jackasses like you." Claudia turned on her heel at that moment, giving Dais a brief, sullen look, before heading back up the stairs to her room.

...

She didn't go back down the stairs for breakfast or lunch, nor did she bother going down for dinner. She stayed out on the balcony, sitting on the cold concrete, White Blaze curled around her body to keep her warm. Cye and Mia had come and gone a few times to check on Kima, but neither had approached her. She wasn't sure if they were mad at her or if they just didn't want to bother her. Either way, she hadn't heard an obnoxious peep out of Kento since she'd broken his nose that morning.

"Claudia,"

She looked over towards the voice and sighed, annoyed, her shoulders slumping as her peace and quiet shattered around her. "What do you want, Raj?"

"You,"

She blinked, looking back over at him. "What?"

"I want you,"

"Wow, how blunt of you," Claudia rolled her eyes, frowning as White Blaze stretched and got up, disappearing into the house and taking his warmth with him. Dais sighed quietly as he grabbed a blanket from her room and draped it over her shoulders before she could get away from him. She wanted to smack him, as a matter of fact, the urge was near overwhelming, but she ignored it and instead got up and moved towards the railing to lean against them, her dark brown eyes again on the horizon and the fog forming in the woods.

For a while, Dais was quiet. He didn't know what he could say or do to make her listen, but the fact that she wasn't trying to get away from him was a good sign.

"Claudia," He reached out to her and touched her shoulder, relieved when she didn't jerk away from him. "Claudia, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are,"

"I haven't had to use my armor in years, Claudia. The other night… it was the first time in a long time that I've ever felt the need to use it. Albeit I was fighting with Kima at the time just to get a rise out of her."

"What's the story with you two?"

"Ever wonder where she got that scar?"

"Not anymore," Claudia muttered, looking down at the carport below them.

"I knew Anubis. I was a warlord with him and for the longest time, I was trapped by the dark power of the Dynasty just like him. Because of his sacrifice, I was able to overcome it. I've been living in the human world ever since and I've been trying really hard to live a normal, peaceful life."

"I've heard that story before," She smiled a little as she looked over at him. "So much for peaceful. When I met you three years ago, I guess I turned your world upside down again,"

Here Dais smirked a little. "You were a challenge. It was a little difficult to keep up with you."

"I do try," She shook her head then reached up and combed the long dark locks of brown hair from her face, sighing heavily. "You lied to me…"

"To protect you."

"From what?"

"Everything that could harm you,"

"Like your old friends?" Claudia looked over at him, her hand sliding down to her waist where her wounds were still healing.

"Yes. Along with a million other things in the Dynasty that could hurt you. A million other beings," Dais leaned against the rail beside her, his eye narrowing as he saw the fog dancing in and out of the trees. "They're coming for you,"

"Because of Dorian?"

"Yes, because of Dorian. But I'm going to protect you. I'm not going to let them take you,"

Claudia's lips parted but no words came out for a long time. Why did he care so much?

"You said you wanted me…why?"

Dais blinked and glanced over at her. "Do I need a reason?"

"Yeah, you do."

He chuckled lowly before looking down at his hands, back up at the stars then over at her. "Because I love you,"

She stared at him, shocked. "What?"

"Don't make me say it again," Dais growled, making it very clear that saying it once was as good as it was going to get. She snorted quietly, looking away from him for a few long minutes.

"You're so full of shit, Raj," She finally muttered as she turned and headed for the door, ready for sleep. He growled as he reached out and grabbed her arm, jerking her to him and kissing her with a ferocity that scared her momentarily. Momentarily.

Rowen paused in the middle of the room, his eyes wide in surprise as he caught the scene. He looked down at the tray of food in his hand then quietly set it down on the nightstand to try and make a quick getaway.

"Is that soup?" Kima asked groggily from the bed. Claudia and Dais broke apart in an instant and stared over at him.

"You perv!" Claudia snapped before growling and stalking off to the other side of the balcony. Dais took a long, deep breath and then marched off after her.

Kima blinked, staring at the spot where they had been before turning and looking at Rowen suspiciously. "What the heck was that just now?"

...

End Chapter


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Kima was staring at Rowen waiting for an answer to her question. "What in God's name was that just now?"

The blue-haired man had to pull himself away from staring at Dais in a somewhat accusing manner to answer. "You've got me on that one. I brought the two of you some soup. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see if Mia has what she needs to patch a broken nose."

"Who has a broken nose?"

"Kento, of course." Rowen replied casually.

"Of course. I knew his mouth was going to get him into trouble."

The blonde tried to sit up a bit to eat the soup Rowen had brought she and Claudia. She still didn't feel at her best, though. Returning that little bit of power had taken a lot out of her. Kima blew on the spoon before sticking it in her mouth. She felt a rolling sensation in her stomach, but fought to keep the food on it. Why would transferring power have this effect on her now? It should've worked like it had the first time she'd done it. The only difference was that she wasn't returning the whole amount at once.

Deciding that half a bowl was enough soup for now, Kima attempted to make her way downstairs. She had no idea what time it was or when she'd even passed out. From the fatigue in her legs, she guessed that she'd been asleep longer than she should've been. She also noticed that she'd been put into a pair of her pajama pants and a tank top. Cye must've been back to her apartment with the help of his credit card. Pulling her hair into a quick ponytail, Kima grabbed her half-eaten bowl of soup and headed downstairs.

There was no noise to be heard except the occasional grumbling from a voice she recognized as Kento's. She could see Mia leaning over him to clean his nose properly. When she was sure that she was still unnoticed, she continued on to the kitchen where she deposited her bowl in the sink. It was there that she heard voices floating in from the back porch. White Blaze nudging his head against her hand caused her to shriek in surprise, causing the conversation outside to cease.

"Kima, is that you?" Damn, she'd been caught.

"It's me. I was just bringing my bowl downstairs. Go back to your conversation."

Too late. The screen door opened and slammed as Cye made his way in to her. He looked a little concerned. "I was wondering when you'd be up. I was starting to worry about you."

"What time is it anyway? How long have I been asleep?" Kima asked, brushing her fallen side bang out of her eyes.

"You've been asleep for about a day now. Whatever you did last night took a lot out of you." The auburn-haired man replied.

Kima crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the counter. "Did it work?"

Instead of answering, Cye grabbed her wrist and led her to the back porch where Rowen, Ryo, and Sage were all sitting, their attention gained by the opening of the door. She was being watched uncomfortably again. What was it with these guys and staring? Kima made her way past Ryo and Sage to sit on the bottom step.

"How are you feeling, Kima? You were asleep for a long time."

"I'm feeling a lot better, thanks Ryo."

Sage was watching her closely and she knew it. She finally gave him a sidelong glance, indicating that she'd rather him say what he was going to say. "Some of my healing powers have come back. The others noticed some of their strength returning as well. What did you do?"

Kima shrugged as she stared out into the trees. As the sun was starting to set, the mist was beginning to cover the ground. It reminded her of the familiar mist that came with the youja that came from the Dynasty. "I'm not sure exactly, Sage. I saw each of your armors' powers come out of my body and a little piece broke off of each one before the rest went back inside my body."

"So you somehow convinced the armors to return to their original bearers?" Rowen asked, quite curious.

"Something like that. It was more like I convinced a little bit of them to return. Since I asked so nicely, they agreed."

Ryo chuckled a bit. "I guess you'd be surprised what a simple please and thank you will get you."

Kima nodded, smiling. "That's the easy way of putting it, I guess. As you can see, though, I got the recoil of asking a favor from the armors. I'm not sure if it will do the same thing the next time or not. If I'm able to continue with this little by little stuff, I'm hoping that the recoil isn't so bad."

"You gave us quite a scare, love. You wouldn't wake up for anything. I wasn't sure when you would." Cye said, watching her carefully.

The blonde felt the breeze pull at her hair and touch her face as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. It would seem that Kento's found a bigger enemy than me."

"You should've seen it!" Rowen exclaimed. "He didn't even get to finish his sentence before he got popped! Kento pissed Claudia off and she broke his nose!"

"So he finally met Claudia's temper. It might've been me doing the nose-breaking if he'd have kept on like he was. What did she punch him over?"

"Other than the fact that he was being Kento?" Rowen asked. "Well, she ended up defending you and he was about to call her something rather nasty and she beat him to it."

Kima nodded. "I see. I somehow thought they'd get to know each other that way."

Ryo laughed. "Yeah, personally I was thinking that she was going to deck Sage first. They don't seem to like one another either."

"It's not that." The blonde snorted. "I didn't trust her. I still don't completely. Why not be a little rude?"

"Same old Sage." Kima commented, a smile making its way onto her face.

"Don't think you're out of the clear yet either, missy. We don't have all of our powers back yet." Sage shot back.

"Sage, give it a rest, mate. We're not sure what it would do to us or Kima if we got our armors back all at once." Cye stepped in.

"We've got to make up for a lot of time, Kima. You've been away way too long. You don't even act the same. What made you take our armors in the first place? Wasn't there some other way?" Sage asked, sounding just a little remorseful.

"I'm not sure of the reason. Anubis gave me the choice of bearing all of the armors and ridding you of them or leaving them to you. He said it was an important mission. When I asked him about it, the bastard said it wasn't important and maybe I'd find out for myself one day." The blonde said, trying not sound discouraged about the others' feelings toward her.

Ryo put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "We'll help you break that shell, Kima. I've noticed since you've come back, too. You're not the same. You've changed and locked yourself away. The Kima I knew was loud and obnoxious and ready for a fight. You…you're reserved and, I don't know, darker."

Kima sighed as she turned her gaze to the nails in the steps. "I don't know, guys. I'm not sure what happened. I grew up. I don't know whether you can bring back the old Kima or not. Maybe she's dead."

Cye's face darkened. "Now, Kima—"

"So how about we start training tomorrow? You should be able to call your sub armors easily enough now. What do you say?"

Rowen stroked his chin in contemplation. "I'm not so sure I want to do that. You've been practicing and getting better this whole time. You'll kick all of our asses. I don't think it'll be much of a learning experience for me."

Kima stuck her tongue out at him. "How are you going to get any better if you don't have your ass handed to you every once in a while, Rowen?"

"Sure, I'd like to see little boy blue eat some dirt." Sage snickered. "I might enjoy it."

"I mean, how long has it been since all of us have trained together?" Cye asked. "Too long, I'd say."

Kima rose from her position on the steps and stretched. "As much as I hate to leave this little pow wow, I need a shower. I feel really dirty for some reason."

"Does it have anything to do with being in Dais's presence?" Ryo asked, grinning.

"Oh yeah, he is here, isn't he? That bastard is going to have me on my toes for the rest of my life."

"With good reason." Sage said, pointing to her left eye.

Kima touched the flawed skin as an automatic reaction. "I'd say so. It's been a pleasure, fellas. I'll see your asses bright and early in the morning."

As she was retreating, she heard Rowen call after her. "In Kento's case, at the crack of noon."

Shaking her head, she ignored the rest of the continuing conversation. Kima grabbed a towel out of the closet, finding her duffle bag in the room at the foot of the bed she and Claudia shared. Cye must've brought that too. She collected some clean clothes and headed into the bathroom at the end of the hall. Making sure to lock the door, Kima turned on the water and stepped in, letting the warm jets wash over her body.

...

"I understand that one of our residents has been communicating with the ryouka and the Ningenkai."

"So it would seem, your Excellency. He's quite adamant about getting his message through to the recipient."

"I see. We must put a stop to this. It could damage the very threads of fate. He doesn't know what he's doing."

"Why is it so important to stop this man?"

"If this communication continues, it could create a rift between the worlds allowing things into the Ningenkai that were never meant to be there. The fabric of the Ningenkai would be altered to the point that it would never be recognized. So, captain, go and stop this nonsense."

"Yes, sir."

The trip to the outer layer took virtually no time at all thanks to the flash step technique. It wasn't hard to find the person he was looking for. The man looked up, tilting his coolie hat back far enough for him to see his visitor. A complacent look was plastered on his face as he returned his focus on a kanji symbol he'd drawn in the dirt.

"I bring a message from the head captain."

The man nodded, not paying much attention. "I wondered when I'd be hearing from him. I am communicating with the living world."

"Then you know that you must stop your actions. It is illegal and dangerous to make contact with a ryouka."

"You don't understand what's at stake. A threat has entered the Ningenkai without your knowing it. A threat that is not altogether strange to them. I'm attempting to assist one of the ryouka, as you call them, in defeating it. It doesn't appear that she'll listen though."

The shorter man approached him, glancing at the sign written in the dirt. "Power?"

"Yes, this woman's virtue. It allows me to communicate with her through a type of telepathy. Destroyer will have a decision to make."

"Her name is Destroyer?"

The older man shook his head. "It is a pet name that I gave to that young woman years ago when she was a child. Kima never did seem like the warrior of destruction."

"A woman bears this responsibility? I don't think I believe it."

"Believe what you will." He said, turning back to the kanji and closing his eyes. "You must return what you took, Kima. You will regret it in the end if you do not return the armors at once."

A sleepy voice was heard through the symbol. "Leave me alone. You choose to talk to me at the worst times."

"I wouldn't interrupt if wasn't important. You know that."

"What do you need then?" she asked, a little irritated. "I start training with the guys in the morning."

"So the Ronins decided to go back into training? Very good. They'll need it."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself. They don't have their full powers back."

"I realize that. You'll give it back to them in due time."

"Bit by bit." The woman known as Kima answered. "I don't know what it'll do to them."

"It will kill you if you don't give it back to them completely. You know that. I warned you about that. The Dynasty is after your armor. You know that."

"I do, but I'm going to sleep now. I have Dais and Kayura's help. The other two warlords are working for some new master. Goodnight."

There was no sound after that. The captain looked down at the monk in confusion. "I didn't understand half of what was going on."

"I didn't expect you to. You won't until I'm allowed to visit with this young woman and the other Ronin warriors. Your head captain has made it quite clear that all communication must stop. I only hope that they can get by without knowing the truth about why she took their armors."

"Why did she take the armors?" the captain asked, not really knowing what he was asking.

"You may find out sooner than you think if Kima winds up here after their battle. I fear that it'll be harder than the others."

...

The sun was barely peaking over the horizon, painting it a vibrant rose color. Kima was already leaving the warm sheets and smirking as Claudia groaned and rolled over. The blonde rummaged through her duffle bag, pulling out a pair of cotton shorts, a tank top, and jogging shoes. She brushed her fingers through her hair before picking up her brush to continue where she'd left off. Changing quickly, she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and reached into her bag again. Luckily, with the added powers of the armor, she was able to create a sort of subspace pocket out of the thing. She pulled out her mp3 player and headed downstairs. It would be good to get a little run in before the guys woke up.

The stretching didn't take long and she placed the buds in her ears. The beat of the music would set a good running pace for her. Taking a deep breath, Kima took off down the path into the trees. It didn't take her long to be making her way through the bamboo thicket. The pumping of her arms and legs sent a rush of adrenaline through her body as she made her way into the forest. The wind in her face gave her a sense of freedom, taking away the nervousness of the upcoming training session. The environment had her full attention, meaning that she was distracted from everything else.

She wasn't expecting the body that came out of the brush to join her on the path. Kima screeched as she tripped on a rock, scraping her knees as she collided with the ground. Ripping the buds out of her ears, she grumbled as she looked up to see the hand that was placed in front of her to assist. The hand belonged to Kento, the last person she thought she'd see. Staring at him warily, she accepted his hand as she was pulled to her feet.

The muscular man was dressed in an orange muscle shirt and black jogging pants with a headband on. A single white strip of medical tape was stretched over the bridge of his swollen and bruised nose. He was fighting to avoid the blonde's gaze as he shuffled his feet. Kima couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks, Kento. You scared me a little."

"Yeah, well, I saw you going out for a jog. I thought you might want some company." He replied, rubbing the back of his head.

Kima managed to giggle a little. "Thank you. I appreciated the company. I didn't even hear you."

Kento snorted. "I guess you wouldn't. You had that music up pretty loud. I think Dais could've snuck up on you then."

"I'd rather punch him. Look, Kento—"

The ash-haired man shook his head. "No, you look, Kima. Despite being bull-headed, some of what Claudia said sunk in. I should've listened to your story instead of getting angry. I'm-I'm sorry."

Kima stood there in awed silence. Kento? Apologizing? She was certain that hell had to be freezing beneath her feet. A wide grin spread across her face as she extended her hand. "Apology accepted. You up for an early morning training session?"

Kento accepted her hand and shook, returning the grin. "Are you kidding? I'm always up for a fight!"

"Good!" the blonde exclaimed. "I'll race you back to the house!"

Kento barked out a protest as he took off after her, the both of them laughing as they went. As they came thundering down the path, Sage, Ryo, Rowen and Cye were just coming out onto the back porch. Sage was the first to notice the two, causing him to gape. This action was followed by a hard elbow to Rowen's side. The blue-haired man exclaimed in pain as he turned around with an angry look on his face. When he made to ask what the violent gesture was for, he was met by Sage's pointing finger.

"Are those two who I think they are?" Rowen asked, gaining the attention of the other two. They seemed to be just as speechless as him.

"Well, I'll be damned." Cye murmured with a smile on his face.

"Looks like everybody will be training this morning." Ryo said, stretching his arms as he made his way down the stairs. "Just like old times, right guys?"

Kento snickered a bit as he joined his friend at the bottom of the stairs. "Yeah, except Kima's shaped more like a girl now."

The blonde flushed brightly as she stuck her tongue out. "At least I changed shape, you've always been a hulk, Kento, and you know it!"

Kento laughed as he held his hands in defense. "I didn't say it was bad! You should take it as a compliment."

"Of course I should." Kima said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. "Anything Kento says should be taken as a compliment."

Rowen laughed at the playful banter of his friends. "What do you say we get to some training? We've got at least three sleepy heads we have to wake up. I'm thinking that Yulie will be down not too long after to watch, Dais will come to patronize Kima and maybe join in, and Claudia will throw something out the window."

Sage laughed. "We'll see how right you are, Ro. We'll see."

...

End Chapter


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Well, damn, someone warn me when that happens, because if she does throw something, knowing my luck, the damn thing will come straight to my nose!" Kento barked, frowning.

"Maybe you'll be less of a jackass next time," Rowen muttered quietly. "You were a bit harsh,"

"Hey! It's me."

"Exactly,"

"Boys," Kima warned, throwing sideways glances at both of them. "Claudia tends to act first and think later, much like the rest of us, so you shouldn't be surprised by anything she does,"

"True, but we've only known her a few days,"

"That's plenty enough time to get to know the girl. But, despite appearances, she's fiercely loyal and she loves hard. She's a tough woman. I think you'll really like her, even if you don't think you will," Kima glanced over at Kento and smirked. "Want to spar with me, rock head?"

"You got it!" Kento grinned as he cracked his neck and knuckles and followed her out to a cleared spot of the yard where the grass was thicker then began a series of stretches and warm ups with her.

...

Dais paused in the hallway, glancing into Mia's study and blinking in surprise. "Claudia?"

She sniffed a little and looked over her shoulder at him from the couch, a photo clutched in her hand. "What?"

"You're crying. Why? What's going on?" He stepped into the study and walked right towards her, looking concerned…and a little predatory.

"Nothing," Claudia muttered, swiping at her eyes and cheeks. "Mia found a picture of Dorian and gave it to me. I just got all emotional over it like a big baby. I'm fine,"

"That's not all of it." Dais reached out and touched her side, feeling the heat from her skin. "It's getting infected!"

"It's fine," Claudia muttered as she twisted away from him. "Would you just stop worrying about me?"

"No!" Dais grabbed her arm hard enough to bruise and pulled her back to him, yanking her shirt up to examine her side. "Dammit, Claudia!"

"Dammit what?" She snatched her arm back and nearly fell because her center of gravity suddenly shifted to her head. Dais threw himself at her and caught her, abruptly pressing her against his chest, trapping her between himself and the wall and holding her as tight as he could without hurting her.

"Stop being so stubborn," He whispered, staring down at her face. "Claudia…"

"Just shut up," She muttered, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and pulling his head down to hers, kissing him fiercely. The move surprised him, but only for a second before he took advantage of the situation, pressing her against the wall and kissing her with a ferocity that almost scared her. Had he really meant what he'd said the night before? There was something different about the Dais she was touching now. Something inside of him had changed, almost as if a sliver of who he was was slipping into place after having been knocked askew. There was a hunger in him now, a predatory nature rising to the surface that she'd never felt from him before, and then she felt something in herself change as he sank his teeth into the flesh at her neck and marked her. He was staking a claim on her, and God have mercy on whoever tried to challenge that claim.

"R-Raj…" She gasped seconds before everything about the room shifted completely. One second they were in Mia's study and the next…the next…well, she didn't know and Dais wasn't really giving her much of a chance to figure it out. He was only focused on one thing at that moment and she wasn't about to turn his attention elsewhere at the moment. Still…she'd be damned if she didn't make him explain it when he was himself again.

...

_"Claudia…"_

_ She turned in a small circle, shrouded in fog and surrounded by forest. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten there or when she'd left the Koji estate. The one thing she did know was that Dorian was calling out to her, pulling her towards the center of the forest._

_ "Dorian?"_

_ "Further, Claudia. You're almost there now. Keep walking. Come to me. Follow my voice."_

_ "But…"_

_ "Claudia, I'm trapped! You have to open the gate! I can't get out if you don't open the gate!"_

_ "Okay!" Claudia started running through the trees, no sense of direction guiding her. She ran blindly, clinging to the sound of his voice and the instincts inside her, whispering the right direction. Finally, after ten minutes of running, she skidded to a stop at the edge of a clearing. Here, the fog swirled, dancing upon the grass and spiraling up to the tree tops, just barely peaking over the tops of the trees and growing in height._

_ "You're here! Claudia, can you feel it? Only you can open the gate for me. You're the only one strong enough. I need you to open the gate. Come to the center. Link yourself. Spread your arms and open your mind. Let me in. Set me free. Claudia!"_

_ "I…" Claudia looked around, breathing heavily. "Dorian…"_

_ "Open the gate, Claudia…Please…"_

_ "B-but…"_

_ "OPEN THE GOD DAMNED GATE!"_

...

Dais snapped awake, shooting forward in the bed and immediately searching for his pants and bolting for the door once he had them yanked up his legs and fastened. He nearly trampled White Blaze in his effort to get down the stairs and found that he wasn't the only person racing for the door.

"Where is she!" Dais demanded as he shoved Cye and Yulie out of his way, staring in wide-eyed horror at the sight of the swirling mist.

"They got her,"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Dais shouted, calling on his armor and making a beeline for the trees. Rowen and Sage called their sub armor and bolted after him, leaving Cye, Ryo and Kento behind to protect the house and the rest of its inhabitants. Dais was clad in his full armor, making himself faster than Rowen and Sage, but the two kept up quite well, and when he reached the edge of the clearing, they arrived with him, sharing in the shock and awe of the sight.

Claudia stood in the center of the clearing, completely frozen in the maelstrom of energy spiraling around her, her arms outstretched towards the ground at her side, fingers spread open and head all the way back. She was screaming as the power flowed through her, but they couldn't tell if it was pain or elation.

Dais didn't care what it was. All he knew was that he needed to stop her and to save her before that power completely consumed her.

He stopped thinking at that point, diving forward and tackling her, bending both of them towards the ground and rolling away from that maelstrom of energy, throwing all of his strength into getting away from it. The ground shook beneath them. They were too late.

"What happened?" Claudia asked miserably, clinging to him, her eyes full of tears as the ground rumbled and tore beneath them.

"GET BACK!" Dais shouted as he grabbed Claudia around the waist and leapt back towards Sage and Rowen. "Back!"

They backed into the tree line and watched in horror as one of those ominous, towering demons that were the Dynasty Gates formed in the mist and shot towards the clouds.

"What did she do?" Sage growled as Rowen reached out and pressed his arm to Sage's chest plates. "Get back to the house. We have to. Let's go,"

...

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

Claudia flinched backwards as Dais paced the room, pissed off and cold.

"I…I don't remember leaving. I…I don't know how I got out there or what I was doing,"

"Sure," Sage muttered with a roll of his eyes. "So you were just sleep walking?"

"It felt like a dream…he was calling me, I…I just followed…"

"Bull shit!" Sage snapped just as Kima reached out and punched his arm hard enough to shatter bone.

"All of you! Sit down and listen!" Once everyone had obeyed, save for Dais who lived for pushing the envelope, Kima folded her arms over her chest and stated very seriously, "This isn't her fault,"

When there was a low grumble of protest from both Sage and Kento, Kima raised her hand to silence them. "Think about it! There's no way Claudia could have raised that gate on her own. Let's look at the facts. The last time the Dynasty Gates rose into the sky, it took an incredible amount of power. Those gates, even now, are locked by the power of the Ancient. Those spells he placed on the Nether Realm were never broken. Talpa merely found a loophole."

"Like what kind of loophole?" Sage growled as Dais paced past the back of the couch again.

"The gates could only be opened by spiritual connection." He grumbled, turning on his heel and pacing the other way.

"And Talpa knew that. That's why Talpa snatched Anubis from the Ancient One all those hundreds of years ago. To make sure he could manipulate Anubis' spiritual energy later on to reopen the gates," Kima said calmly. "But there has to be two sources. One on the inside, one on the outside. And the energies must be the same,"

"Dorian," Mia gasped, suddenly understanding. "He disappeared the day the gates first appeared! He and Claudia are direct descendants of Anubis and Dorian was here right when they needed him to be!"

"Exactly. They used him and Anubis to open the gates the last time,"

"Then Anubis is alive?" Claudia asked, her voice small, still shaken up from the energy that had taken over her in that clearing. Her eyes were bruised and she looked miserable. It was only the wilted sound of her voice that made Dais stop pacing and the anger slip from his face, replaced by concern and worry. He'd start fussing at any minute.

"No," Kima muttered. "He's dead. It's not Anubis. Not this time."

"I…I don't understand…"

When no one answered, Dais sighed quietly, looking down for a moment before looking squarely at Claudia.

"It's Dorian, Claudia."

"What do you mean?" Claudia asked, her dark brown eyes narrowed. "What do you mean it's Dorian?"

"He made the connection with Anubis willingly seven years ago. He opened the Dynasty Gates. And now he's picked up where Talpa left off. Dorian is the Dynasty's new overlord."

She stared at him, her lips parting in surprise. "What?"

"It's Dorian. It's your brother. He tricked you, Claudia,"

...

"Did you feel that!"

The redhead skidded to a stop between four other captains and stared up at the sky in awe. "Did you feel it, Toshiro! What is it?"

"The Nether realm has emerged again. Somehow… the gates have risen and are slowly opening. We must warn everyone. We'll soon be overrun by Nether Spirits."

"How is this possible? The descendant is here!"

"There is a third. The dark one was not the only descendant. He has a sibling. A sister. And she has opened the gates, though I do not believe it was willingly." Toshiro turned and stared very calmly into the redhead's face. "We must warn the other captains and squads."

...

End Chapter


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Silence! I will have order in this room!" an authoritative voice bellowed in the small chamber. The shouting died down as the room's occupants diverted their attention to the head captain. "Captain of division ten, Hitsugaya Toshiro, please report to me what you've learned from our resident."

The young man stepped forward and bowed respectfully to his elder. "Hai, Yamamoto-san. The recent entry of the Youjakai into the realm of the ryouka has flooded us with nether spirits. Anubis has informed me that there are warriors in the Ningenkai that can defeat them once again."

Yamamoto stared carefully at the tenth division captain. "Ryouka like Kurosaki-kun?"

"He calls them the Ronin Warriors, sir." Toshiro spoke up. "They wield sacred armors or something to that extent. He also mentioned a woman by the name of Kima."

"I see. Very well, then. We will allow these Ronin Warriors to deal with the Youjakai for a while. If they cannot defeat the new emperor, we will send in the Shinigami to finish the job."

The captain of the second division narrowed her eyes as she looked from Toshiro to head captain Yamamoto. "What are we supposed to do if these ryouka can't handle this new emperor of the Youjakai?"

"That shouldn't matter to us, Captain Soi Fon." The captain of division six, Kuchiki Byakuya, commented. "We needn't worry about the Youjakai until the ryouka can no longer take care of the issue."

"If nothing else, it'll be a lot of fun. It's been way too boring around here." Zaraki Kenpachi, captain of division eleven, commented with a grin. "I know I'm excited."

"Don't infect the rest of us with your disgusting display of violence." Seventh division captain Komamura Sajin spat. "We must stay out of this. I agree with Captain Kuchiki."

"I don't." Kyoraku Shunsui, the captain of division eight fought back. "We should help the Ningenkai. Kurosaki-kun and his friends have helped us out many times. Maybe we should return the favor."

Ukitake Jushiro, captain of division thirteen, nodded in agreement. "We should offer the Ryouka some help. It's only fair that we repay them for helping us."

"Enough!" Head captain Yamamoto shouted, banging his staff on the floor. "Captain Hitsugaya, locate Anubis and discover anything that you can from him about this threat from the Youjakai and these Ronin Warriors. We'll need to know all we can if we should have to help them."

"Certainly, Yamamoto-san, demo, Soi Fon is head of the intelligence department. Shouldn't she be the one gather the information?"

"You were the one that expressed an interest in this whole business of the Ronin Warriors. You can speak with Anubis again."

Toshiro bowed respectfully and left with the rest of the thirteen division captains. Being the youngest, he supposed that he brought this upon himself for showing too much interest in the Ningenkai and the problems of the ryouka.

...

"What did Head Captain Yamamoto say?" the red head asked him curiously.

Toshiro sighed. "He said that we do nothing for now, Renji. We let the ryouka handle the Youjakai and we merely take care of the nether spirits that are invading the Seireitei and the Soul Society. If they begin to show signs of beginning to fail, we will take over."

Renji snorted. "Of course. We don't get involved when we're needed."

"Don't say that, Abarai-kun." A woman from Toshiro's left said. "Yamamoto-san has made the decision as he sees fit."

"I don't know this time, Matsumoto." Toshiro replied, shaking his head. "I've got to find Anubis upon his request. This problem with the Youjakai is worrying him more than he lets on."

"Then why were we instructed to do nothing?" Rangiku asked, flipping her hair.

"I don't know, but we should find him soon. We may have to pay a visit to Ichigo and get him up to speed. His services may be required."

...

"I think I'm going to run back to my apartment and do some research on the Dynasty gates. I'm not sure if anything electronic will be working, but I might as well try."

Cye gave her a worried look. "We should come with you, Kima. We don't know if you'll be attacked or not."

The blonde sighed as she rested her chin on her arms that were folded on top of the wooden railing of the porch. "What if Claudia's attacked? Dais is the only one here if the rest of you come with me. The Dynasty could easily take her."

Ryo seemed to agree with this. "We're going to have to split up again." He said, leader mode kicking in. "Kento and Cye will go with Kima to Tokyo. Sage, Rowen, and I will stay here just in case the other warlords come after Claudia again."

Kima tossed Ryo a bundled up packaged, causing him to give her a strange look. "I've been working on those for a while. They're communicators. If you need to reach us, hit this button and we'll get the message."

"Cool!" Kento exclaimed. "Like a cell phone and spy gear all in one!" he said, attaching the orange device to his wrist.

"You would say that." Rowen snorted. "Who's the purple one for?"

"There are two purple ones, actually. One is for Dais and one is for Claudia. I gave one to Mia already. That way, we can all stay in touch." Kima replied, adjusting the strap on her black communicator.

"So you've given me another way to bug you?" a voice came from behind the doorway. "I'll thank you later and I promise I'll put it to good use."

Kima snorted. "I knew I could count on Dais to pop out of nowhere and give me hell. Screw you, Dais. If you'd been here paying attention, you'd know the plan." She said, grabbing the door knob and leaving with Kento and Cye in tow.

Before Dias could respond, the three were out the door and already in the driveway. Kima hopped in the driver's seat while Cye climbed into the passenger seat and Kento crawled into the back. The Chinese man whistled as he looked around the inside. "Nice car, Kima. You've got good taste."

"Thanks, Kento. I doubt we'll be talking about my car once we get back into Tokyo. I have a bad feeling already."

She started the car and headed down the mountain. The drive didn't take nearly as long as it should've. The Tokyo city limits sign no sooner came into view than the Camero began to stall out. When the engine finally cut off, Kima stepped out of the vehicle. Lines and lines of vacant cars lined the freeway and the streets. The Dynasty gates stood above the skyline looming in the darkness they had created. The blonde narrowed her eyes as she peered further into the city. There were no lights and no people. Her body turned rigid as Cye and Kento joined her.

"It's starting all over again. This looks just like it did seven years ago." Kima spoke, her voice shaking.

"I never thought I'd see this again." Cye said, pulling her close to him. "I had nightmares for so long about this."

"Dammit!" Kento exclaimed. "We were too late to stop it! Kima, I'm glad you're back because you're going to need all the help you can get."

An unsettling silence filled the streets as the three set off. A thick mist had begun to cover the ground. Kima took Cye's hand as they moved deeper into the city. Some presence made the hair stand on the back of her neck. Kento was close behind them, clutching his kanji orb subconsciously. She knew that Cye had his as well.

"Stay on your toes, guys." She whispered. "I sense the youja and we're going to have company any minute now."

...

Renji moved swiftly behind Toshiro toward their destination. He wasn't sure where they were heading, but it didn't matter. The head captain had given the tenth division captain a mission and he was about to carry it out. They weaved in and out of the bodies to an alley that the captain had clearly visited before to find a red head sitting in the dust wearing a coolie hat. Toshiro bowed respectfully to the man before him as he began to speak.

"I have returned, Anubis. This time, I have orders from Head Captain Yamamoto-san to learn everything that you know about the Ronin Warriors and the appearance of the Youjakai seven years ago." Toshiro announced in formal tone.

The other man looked up at him casually from a circle he'd drawn in the dirt. "The Youjakai tried to invade seven years ago when the Ronin Warriors were just children. Fifteen or sixteen, I believe. The Emperor of Doom, Talpa, was keeping all the people of Tokyo in his dungeons to feed on their fear."

The white-haired captain, as well as the red-headed lieutenant, moved closer so they could lean over and see what the man was watching from within the circle. "Those visions there, those are from the Ningenkai, ne?"

"Hai. This is Tokyo in its current state. The gates of the Youjakai have opened and the battle has only just begun." Anubis explained. "The situation with the Ronin Warriors will get much worse before it is over."

Toshiro forgot his dignity and sat around the circle so that he could get a better glimpse. Renji followed his actions and sat on the other side. "How did the armors come to be, Anubis? How were they chosen out of all the people in the world?"

Anubis smiled. "The nine armors were created from the single armor of Talpa. When he was defeated by the ancient monk, Kaos, the five elemental armors, the four seasonal armors, and the armor of Destruction were created. They all lay dormant until Talpa's spirit decided to seek revenge on the monk. He was able to sway the seasonal armors to side with him, giving them to his warlords; the four horsemen of the apocalypse. When he took those armors, he gained the virtues of loyalty, serenity, filial piety, and obedience."

"So what virtues do the other armors hold?" Renji broke in.

"The five elemental armors; Wildfire, Halo, Hardrock, Torrent, and Strata. Wildfire holds the virtue of righteousness, Halo of grace, Hardrock of justice, Torrent of trust, and Strata of wisdom. The armor of Destruction is the most volatile armor and holds the attribute of power."

"And the woman holds that armor?" Toshiro asked.

"You mean Kima? Yes. She was selected by the armor because she was a woman. I suppose that women are less susceptible to the gain of power than men. Kima bears the armor of Destruction. Ryo, Sage, and the others fight with her, though Ryo is their leader."

Toshiro's brow furrowed in confusion. "Last time you mentioned that Kima held all the armors. How are they going to defeat the Youjakai with only her fighting?"

"Kima thinks that since she's had experience at defeating the Dynasty once before, she can do it once again on her own. She doesn't realize that she had help the first time. I fear that once she does return the armors, it will be too late for her."

"What do you mean, too late?" Renji asked. "Like she doesn't return them in time or what?"

The monk shook his head. "By the time Kima returns the last of the armors' power to their original bearers, it will take the last of her life to make the transfer."

"So this is going to kill her?" The redhead asked. "You haven't mentioned this to her?"

"I have. Kima is stubborn and strong willed. She won't listen to me. My little Destroyer has always been this way if it means to protect her friends from harm. I'm certain that she won't change now."

Toshiro moved to open his mouth when a cracking sound drew his attention. The fabric of their world peeled like dry lead paint to reveal a mirage of some other place. The human world glared back at them as the image of four large gates loomed over the city, black angry clouds billowing in the sky. Lightning shot out at the ground hatefully. The white-haired captain leapt to his feet.

"What's going on?" he exclaimed, slightly panicked.

"The energy that is connecting the human world to the Dynasty has also connected the human world with the Soul Society. These vortexes are like windows so that each side may see what's happening on the other. The youja will be coming through to the human world any minute now. Let us hope that Kima, Cye, and Kento are ready for them."

Renji nodded as he headed away from Anubis. "Let's go, Captain Hitsugaya. We need to report this to the head captain."

"Hai. Arigatou gozaimasu, Anubis. You've been a great help."

"Doshimashitei, Hitsugaya-san. You may be returning to me for further instruction in the near future."

The two fled through the streets, the occupants in a panic. The vortexes were appearing everywhere with nether spirits emerging from them. Toshiro unsheathed his zanpakuto and sliced through them quickly. Hyorinmaru froze them in their path as Renji continued down the street with Zabimaru. As he rounded the corner to enter the Seireitei, a vortex appeared to his right. Slashing through the nether spirit that emerged, something on the other side caught his eye. A pair of dark blue orbs locked with his icy ones.

...

The crunching of broken concrete under their feet was the only sound to be heard in the entire city. All the windows were dark. None of street lamps were on. It seemed that the negative energy that the Dynasty was casting off had managed to cause a malfunction of anything mechanical in a twenty kilometer radius of Tokyo. Kima had thought of this when she had been designing the communicators. She'd used just a little assistance from her armor to make it so that wouldn't happen.

"Ryo, this is Kima. Do you read?"

"I've got you loud and clear, Kima. What's up?"

The blonde looked around her warily before answering. "We've got a situation in Tokyo. The four gates are standing, but not completely open yet. Everything's dark here. Nothing mechanical or electric is working."

There was a tense pause before their leader answered. "What about the civilians?"

"Gone. They just vanished. This is just how everything started before things went downhill, Ryo. Keep your eyes peeled and your asses covered back at Mia's." Kima told them.

"Will do, Kima. You three just watch your backs out there. Make it back in one piece."

Silence reigned once more as Kima led them deeper into the city. It was about that time that mist began to grow thicker. The three of them stood back to back as to at least keep one another covered. The red glow of the youjas' eyes broke through the fog as they began to advance.

"Well what do you know?" Kento asked smugly. "It looks like we'll be able to put our training to good use."

Raising his fists, he punched the first youja he saw before calling on his sub armor. The others quickly followed his example. Kima used a sweeping kick to the head to take out her opponent quickly. "Just like the good old days, huh fellas?"

Cye elbowed his youja in the stomach before punching it in the face. A bemused laugh escaped him. "Not the way I would plan a reunion, but I can't say that it's boring."

Using all the techniques that their individual martial arts schools had taught them, they disposed of the opposing youja easily. All three were panting when another round of red glare appeared through the mist. Kima groaned with exasperation as she turned to the others.

"Okay, I'm going to suggest that we retreat for now. These are way too many to handle on our own without the other guys. Let's split up and retreat for now."

Kento nodded in agreement. "I'm with you, girl. I was itching for a fight but I didn't want a rash. Let's get the hell out of here."

"Right. Head for the city limits. If we can get Kima's car pushed back enough, we can get it to start. Be careful everyone and no heroes." Cye told them.

The three of them nodded as they took off into the mist through the sea of youja. The dark buildings would provide enough cover for them to escape with little or no damage.

_My patience is running out_

_I want to say what I want to say_

_Coming home from the bus stop at twilight_

_Saying bye, bye, bye to the sad backs of others_

_You've got to show your Fighting Pose oh oh_

Kima was halfway out when the youja found her. Her long ponytail fluttered behind her as she leapt out of the way of an attack. Her fist met the face of a youja while her foot destroyed another. Strange holes were appearing all over the streets and alleyways. Something wasn't quite right. The youja had multiplied around her so quickly that she didn't think she'd be able to take all of them out. A dragon made of ice suddenly appeared out of the hole, freezing the youja in their place.

The blonde stared into the warp hole, hoping to see her savior, or newest enemy. A young man about her age with short white hair looked back at her with surprise in his icy stare. He held a katana much like Ryo's by his side as he seemed frozen in place. They both drew closer to this window between worlds, curiosity sparked. Kima touched a finger to the hole only to have it disappear. Then she placed her whole hand through. The young man touched her hand, causing her to jump and jerk it back. He felt real enough. When their eyes locked, his strayed to the left side of her face. She looked away, not sure why she was trying to hide her scar of all things.

"You're the ryouka Anubis was talking about. You're Kima."

Her head shot up at the mention of her name. "You spoke to Anubis? Is there a way for me to see him? I must speak to him about the mission he gave me. Please?"

_A world like I have seen in my dreams_

_Without conflict, just daily peace_

_But in reality, I tend to worry about_

_Troubles and the daily grind_

_Those Rolling Days_

The young man averted his gaze. "I can't allow the communication between a resident of the Soul Society and a ryouka. It's impossible. Please try to understand, Kima."

"You keep saying my name, but I don't even know yours." She spat a bit defensively. "Who are you?"

This woman reminded him strangely of Ichigo. Shaking his head, he answered. "I am captain of division ten, Hitsugaya Toshiro."

"What is going on with these holes? They're linking the world of the dead with the world of the living. Does the Empire of Doom have that much power?" she mused.

"Apparently it does." Toshiro murmured. "Nether spirits are overrunning us. We've been told to leave the Dynasty to you for now."

"For now?" Kima asked. "What happens if we can't defeat them? What then?"

Toshiro flinched a bit at her anger. "The shinigami come to the world of the living to finish what the ryouka cannot. The Ronin Warriors have one chance, but they need their armors."

Kima looked away smashing another youja as she did so. "You sound just like Ryo and the others. 'Return the armors, Kima. Let us help, Kima. You're our friend.' That's not the point. I tried to free them from their destiny. Now they want their burdens back."

"Have you ever thought that they're trying to free you of yours?" Toshiro asked, slicing a nether spirit without even looking away from her.

_Even though you keep on falling_

_You laugh and get up every time_

_As I board the vacant back of the bus_

_You flash me a small smile_

_I must place my trust in you_

"I can come through this little hole here." Kima said, sticking her arm in up to the elbow. "Can you come through to my side?"

"You might not be able to see me. I'm a spirit, so I would need a gigai for you to see me there."

Kima snorted. "I can see you now. If you're a spirit, shouldn't you be transparent or something like that?"

Toshiro felt his brow twitch in irritation. "It doesn't work like that. I don't know why you're able to see me. I'll have to talk to someone in research and development about that."

The blonde grabbed his hand and pulled it through, with much protesting from Toshiro. He was right. Once his hand had crossed to the living side, she could no longer see it. Kima linked her fingers with his and pushed his hand back through the hole, noticing the bright blush that stained his cheeks.

"I guess you were right, Shiro-kun. I can't see you on this side." Kima said casually, still holding his hand.

As he was about to comment back, the redhead came up behind him, a surprised look on his face. "Captain Hitsugaya, what are you doing? We've got to get back to the Seireitei and tell the head captain what's going on!"

Toshiro was brought out of his daze and slowly pulled his fingers from Kima. "Onegai, heed Anubis's words. I don't want to see you here before your time." He said, his heart fluttering for some unknown reason. "Kiyosuketei. Let's go, Renji."

"Wait! Will I see you again?" Kima called after him.

"Most likely and sooner than you think."

_Sweet love like I've seen in my dream_

_Lovers searching for hidden refuge_

_But in reality, on the days we cannot meet_

_Continue on but I believe in Lonely Days_

Kima paused a moment longer to stare at their retreating backs. Turning around quickly, the youja were respawning quickly. She took out several before hearing a desperate cry behind her. It wasn't coming from the vortex, but from a familiar voice not far off.

"Kima!"

The voice came too late. Kento had called out to her to warn her of the enemy attacking from behind. As she turned around to discover her enemy she was a half a second too late. She received a fist in the eye and another to the gut, knocking the wind out of her. She fell to her knees, looking up at the youja as it prepared to bring the blade of its spear to her throat.

_Oh yeah, oh…_

_Even if you stumble, Way to go_

_Yeah, yay!_

_A muddled Rolling Star_

They had made it perhaps ten feet away from the vortex when an exclamation rang out, causing Toshiro to turn around. He wasn't sure why the hair on the nape of his neck was standing on end.

"Kima!"

The white-haired captain felt his gaze directed immediately back to the dimensional window. He saw the youja appear behind the young woman on the other side of the worm hole. Its fist made contact with her face and then her abdomen. Her legs crumpled beneath her and he knew that she didn't have much time. Toshiro ripped his zanpakuto from its sheath pointing it toward the vortex.

"Reign over the frozen sky, Hyorinmaru!"

The frigid dragon shot toward the dimensional window to spare the life of the woman on the other side.

_It pains me to see your smiling face, but_

_Is there no way to protect you till the end?_

_There is no meaning to this lie, none at all_

_All my loving_

_Without it, I can't go on_

An icy wind brushed her cheek, soothing the searing pain in her bruising eye. Her attention returned to the youja in front of her only to find it frozen in a spike of solid ice. Kento was gaping behind her as made his way over to her. He seemed to completely ignore the vortex that stood several feet away from him. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

"Oh, it looks like you're going to have a shiner, Kima. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just had the wind knocked out of me pretty hard. I don't think I can move quite yet." She replied.

Kento whistled and shook his head. "I'll take care of you. I don't think we have time to wait around much longer. Cye's close, I think. I'll carry you, Kima."

The warrior of Hardrock scooped the blonde into his arms. It was then that she realized how tired she was. As Kento began walking away, she peered around his shoulder into the window once more before they attempted to return to Mia's. Toshiro was gazing back at her, his katana resting beside him. He'd saved her. Their eyes locked once more before Kento carried her too far away. The only way she could describe it was like lightning crawling all over her skin.

_A world like I have seen in my dreams_

_Without conflict, just daily peace_

_But in reality, I tend to worry about_

_Troubles and the daily grind_

_Those Rolling Days_

"Why did you do that?" Renji asked.

"What?" Toshiro asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"You interfered. You saved that ryouka." The redhead exclaimed, steadily getting louder. "What were you thinking, Captain Hitsugaya?"

Toshiro was speechless. He'd saved Kima without giving it a second thought. He wasn't usually one to jump to the ryoukas' aid. Something about that girl…his heart was pounding in his chest again. "I don't know, Abarai-kun. I don't know."

He saw her gazing back at him as her companion carried her away. Something in her eyes had held him. Toshiro stared through the dimensional window until the blonde was no longer in sight. He turned slowly, his back to the window as he made to enter the Seireitei. The white-haired captain hoped that he wouldn't see the woman here in the near future.

_Oh yeah, oh…_

_Even if you understand it all_

_Oh yeah, oh…_

_Even if you stumble, Way to go_

_A muddled Rolling Star_

Cye was waiting at the car for them when they emerged from the city. His brow furrowed once he realized that Kento was carrying Kima. Setting out at a brisk walk, the warrior of Torrent met them before they reached him.

"What happened? Are you alright, Kima?"

"I'm fine. I just got hit pretty hard by a youja. I'm ready to go back to Mia's place and get a shower. I'm going to have a black eye and a pretty big bruise on my torso. I'll be fine after I get some food and some sleep."

Kento sat her down gently and moved to climb in the back seat of the car. "So I guess you're going to let Cye drive?"

Kima gave a forced laugh. "I don't think so. I'm the only one who drives my car."

Cye climbed into the passenger side as she turned the ignition. The car started easily as she did a u turn to head back toward Toyama. Things were accelerating too quickly. The Ronin Warriors would lose control of the situation. It was then the question of when Dorian would decide to make his move against them.

...

End Chapter


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Dais leaned against the wall and watched her with a narrowed eye, worried. Claudia lay sprawled on the bed she shared with Kima, looking miserable and defeated and completely unmoving. She'd been that way for hours now and it was starting to worry him. What was wrong with her? Was it because of having fallen for Dorian's trick and opening the Dynasty gates? Or was it something else entirely?

"Stop staring at me," Claudia suddenly murmured, blinking her eyes for the first time in what seemed like hours. "I don't want your pity, Raj. Or Dais. Or whatever the fuck your name really is," Claudia sat up and twisted her long dark hair into a bun at the back of her neck.

"It's Dais," He murmured, arms folded as he continued to watch her.

Claudia didn't respond, she merely pushed herself off the bed and walked towards the French doors to stare out at the dark horizon.

"How long did you know, _Dais_, about Dorian?"

This time Dais didn't respond, causing Claudia's temper to slip its leash. "You knew this whole time! Every second we've spent together, you've known! Every time I told you about my brother, you knew where he was, what he was doing. You knew, and you never said anything!"

"How could I?"

"By opening your damn mouth and fucking saying it!"

"Claudia, please, lower your voice,"

"Don't tell me to lower my voice, you sorry sack of shit! I have agonized over my brother's disappearance for seven years! Seven years! Three of which I spent crying on your shoulder! And the whole time you knew and didn't say anything…! YOU SORRY SACK OF SHIT!"

...

"We should go after the others," Ryo muttered, folding his arms over his chest as he paced the length of the kitchen.

"They're fine, Ryo."

"You heard what Kima reported! They are not fine! They need our help!"

"You've already reassured her that we'd take care of things here. Besides, those three can take care of themselves. Right now we have to stay here and protect Claudia. We have to keep the Dynasty away from her, or the gates will open completely. Considering we don't all have our armors back, it'll be a little difficult to deal with the Dynasty full force. Besides, I don't like what's going on here. There's something wrong. Something different this time…I can feel it in the air. It's like they're attacking at more than one angle…"

"I don't care! Kima and Cye and Kento are out there and they need-"

"YOU SORRY SACK OF SHIT!"

"Claudia's back to normal," Sage muttered as he came into the kitchen, scowling beneath his golden locks. "This should prove interesting,"

"You can yell at me all you want, Claudia, I can take it,"

"And that's supposed to make up for the fact that you have lied to me every second of every day we've known each other?" Claudia demanded as she stomped down the stairs and headed straight for the living room to grab her handbag. "You know, you are almost as arrogant and annoying as that blond headed narcissistic asshole, Sage! And to think, I had actually begun to forgive you for lying to me about being one of them!"

"Claudia, where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, I'm getting the hell away from all you freaks! I'm going to find my brother!"

"That's what he wants!"

"GOOD! THEN HE CAN MEET ME HALFWAY!" Claudia chucked her purse at Dais' head and bolted for the door.

"Uh…we should stop her…" Rowen announced a second before he was in his sub armor and rushing out through the door. Ryo and Sage both blinked in surprise before darting after him. Dais was already right at his heels, but they didn't have to go far. Claudia was stopped dead at the edge of the woods, staring ahead of her in complete surprise.

"Who are you?" She whispered as the redheaded man clad in black Hakama and Kimono stared back at her. The circle of energy that surrounded him revealed a world that didn't belong to this one. "Who are you?" She asked again, just as Renji reached up and lifted the expensive black sunglasses onto the top of his head.

"Renji Abarai. Lieutenant of the 6th Division of the Soul Society,"

"The-the what?" Claudia stammered as the bubble seemed to close. "Wait-" and then it was gone.

"Claudia!" Dais reached her first, grabbing her arm and hauling her back from the woods. None of them had seen the Soul Reaper before he and his world had vanished. "Get back!"

And with one yank he threw her behind Ryo a second before he dawned his full armor. "You cannot hide, Cale!"

"Of course I cannot,"

"Cale?" Claudia whispered, watching over Ryo's shoulder in horror as the Warlord emerged from shadows behind the very spot where Renji had just been standing. Was that just an illusion that Dais had created to hide Cale from her? Or her from Cale? Or was that actually real?

"Cale!" Sage was suddenly next to Dais and Rowen. "I was wondering when you'd show your ugly face again!"

Claudia took a stumbling step backward as the Ronins and Dais distracted Cale and drew his complete attention onto them. When she realized she'd been forgotten, she turned and bolted for the woods closest to her. Once she was safe under the cover of the forest, she tried to calm her breathing. Too tired to run because of her earlier exertions opening that damned gate, albeit very unwillingly now that she actually thought about it, Claudia slowly backed up, hoping for a tree trunk, but instead falling backward and slamming onto hard marble ground. She blinked, staring up at a bright blue sky in absolute confusion. She shot upright again and stared through the strange bubble to the forest she'd just been hiding in and gasped in shock.

"How did you do that? How did you pass through the portal?"

Startled, Claudia twisted around on her butt and lurched to her thighs, staring up at that same redheaded man. Only now he looked startled and surprised rather than cool and collected. One hand was wrapped around the sheath of a katana while the other clutched loosely onto the hilt of it.

"W-where am I?" Claudia gasped, scrambling backwards and crying out as she fell onto moist greenery. Renji stared at her in confused shock as she fell away from the Soul Society, staring up at him from her own realm.

"How did you do that? You're only a human!"

Gasping in ragged breaths, Claudia climbed to her feet and bolted away from the small portal and went deeper into the forest. The portal closed and didn't reappear again until she reached a small clearing, though the portal opened within the trees where she couldn't see it. But he was there again, watching her very carefully now. She stared around the small clearing before bracing her hands on her knees and trying to catch her breath.

"What the hell is going on?" Claudia gasped, locks of her dark hair, now riddled in leaves and twigs, fell from the bun at her neck and into her face and eyes. She had no idea what had just happened or why it had happened, but her skin was tingling. It was a strange feeling, almost as if power were suddenly surging through her veins. She stared at her hands as she stood upright again, gasping as she heard footsteps behind her.

"R-Renji?"

"Who would that be, my dear?"

Claudia spun around towards the snakelike voice and stumbled backwards again, losing her footing and slamming her palms into the ground to catch some of her weight.

Sekhmet grinned at her from beneath his helmet and withdrew his katanas. "You make such easy prey. Master was right, you're not very smart, are you? Very weak, though, but still, you survived the connection between worlds when you connected with Master to reopen the gates. If you'd been allowed to complete the connection, surely you would have died. Perhaps there is more strength in you than we thought. Shall I test it?" Sekhmet chuckled nastily then, spinning his katanas in his hands and stalking menacingly towards her.

"Stay away from me!" Claudia said weakly as she scrambled to get away from him.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this. You see, Master doesn't need you anymore. Master says we can do what we want with you and I'm all too eager to take him up on that offer, seeing as how Cale is a bit busy with your lover and your friends." He stalked ever closer and she continued to crawl backwards. "It's a pity about Dais. He was such a good warrior when he was on our side. All those illusions, those pretty shiny webs that drew in all our enemies for us to take care of. So sad that he gave that all up for something like you."

"Stay away from me!" Claudia cried again as he inched ever closer.

"Not likely," He lifted the katanas and smirked nastily. "Snake Fang Strike!"

"Bankai! Hihio Zabimaru!" Claudia screamed in terror and rolled away as the two attacks slammed into each other, but Sekhmet was quickly overwhelmed by the monstrosity that poured into the clearing. It was a snake but… it looked so strange. It towered high above their heads, hissing menacingly down at Sekhmet and the venom leaking from his swords. Its head was a pale white surrounded by a thick mane of crimson fur. Its body was long and brown, almost resembling a dark marble, with nasty looking spikes erupting upwards and out.

She'd never seen anything like it before in her life, but it felt…familiar. Something about the power pouring from it felt familiar.

Suddenly, she wasn't so afraid. At least, not until Sekhmet retreated into the darkness and the snake turned towards her. She gasped, flinching instinctively as it shot towards her, but it zoomed past her and she stared, confused as it disappeared into the portal behind her, slowly forming into a long katana held in Renji's hand. He stared straight ahead, not meeting her eyes, as he sheathed the katana and smirked a little.

"Renji!" A smaller blond man dressed in the same Hakama and Kimono, though adorned with another white robe that clearly marked him as a superior, skidded to stop next to Renji and stared at Claudia. "Is that her then?"

Renji nodded as he finally looked towards Claudia and went completely still. "It's her."

"This is strange. All of the portals that are appearing are all opening near her and that Kima girl. Nowhere else."

"It's her spiritual pressure. Both of them…" Renji turned towards Toshiro just as the portal snapped closed.

"CLAUDIA!" Dais skidded into the clearing and yanked her backwards and away from the puddle of venom Sekhmet had left behind. "Are you alright? Claudia? Answer me! Are you hurt?"

"N-no!" She forced out, staring at the spot where Renji and that strange little man had just been. "He saved me… he s-scared Sekhmet off with t-that thing…that huge snake…thing…"

"What?" Dais looked around at the rest of the group and then back at Claudia. "What are you talking about? Claudia? Have you been hurt?"

"No," She whispered, still staring at the spot even as Dais tugged her back into the trees towards the house. "Renji saved me…"

...

End Chapter.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

As the three of them entered the house, they were greeted by the sight of sub armor and sullen looks. Kima didn't even bother to ask as she flopped down on the couch. Kento took the seat next to her as Cye remained standing, running his fingers through his hair. Ryo looked at the blonde, already wanting to ask about the situation in Tokyo, but holding his tongue.

"Looks like you guys have been busy." Kento commented.

"That's one way to put it." Sage grumbled. "I can see that you guys have had a time too."

"I'm guessing that the warlords showed up." Cye speculated.

"You guessed right." Rowen said. "How was Tokyo."

"Horrible." Kima said, finally speaking. "I couldn't believe it when I saw it. It looked exactly like it did seven years ago. I couldn't breathe when I saw it."

"Everyone was gone. There was so much debris and nothing worked. It was like a ghost town." Kento said.

Ryo shook his head. "Were there youja?"

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Kento exclaimed. "We had to retreat, there were so many! They just kept coming and coming."

"God, I knew we should've gone with you. I knew it!" Ryo exclaimed.

Sage looked over to the blonde woman that was sitting on the couch. "You've said less than I expected. What's up, Kima?"

Kima looked at him as if she'd been brought out of a daze. Should she bother telling them about the portal that had opened before her in Tokyo? Then again, Kento had walked right by the damn thing and it was almost as if he didn't see it at all. How did one miss a shining portal to the world of the dead? Unless…he really couldn't see it. That was when she decided to keep the knowledge of the portals to herself. Maybe she could talk to Anubis later since he was hell bent on contacting her.

"Nothing. I was just blown away by the fact that we couldn't stop what happened to Tokyo _again_. I don't see how something this big could've been missed."

Mia returned from the kitchen with tea for all of them, Yulie by her side. The fifteen-year-old had a sullen expression on his face and she knew why: his parents had been taken from him again. "If you did sense what was coming, what would you have done? Taken on the Dynasty by yourself? You would've gotten yourself killed." The older woman told her. "Don't be in such a hurry to jump into trouble's way."

"It's okay." The teenager said, shaking his head. "I'm fine. I know that you guys can only do so much without your armors and you can't do everything, Kima. I'm a little older now and just a _little_ bit wiser than I was the first time."

Kento stood and ruffled his hair as he reached for his tea. "When did you turn out to be such a tough kid? I distinctly remember you as a cry baby."

The statement launched Kento and Yulie into a playful argument that would help lighten the mood, but Kima wasn't feeling it. Her shoulders sagged as she decided to put some ice on her eye. Moving to the kitchen, she reached into the freezer, grabbed a bag of peas, and leaned back on the counter as she placed them over her eye. Claudia was nowhere to be found and neither was Dais, so she only assumed that they were either upstairs or out back.

For some reason, Toshiro kept running through her mind. Why had he appeared to her? Why was she the only one who could see him? He'd saved her and told her to be careful. He was a cocky little bastard. _Little_ being that he was the same height she was and she stood at five foot one inch. She sighed as she heard footsteps approaching her. Looking up, Cye had entered the kitchen still in his sub armor.

"Are you okay, love? It looks like you took quite a beating." He said, lifting up the bag of frozen peas with his fingers.

"I'm fine, Cye. I took a punch to the face and had the wind knocked out of me. I'm okay. I promise. I'll be bruised a little bit, but a bruise never killed anyone."

"I think you're taking too many risks. Kento said that he had to save you from being cut down. It was like you were staring at something. What did you see, Kima?"

The blonde bit her lip as she tried to make up a good story. Dammit, Cye was empathic. He could tell if she was lying. Shit. "I didn't see anything. If I did, I'd let you know. I'm okay. I'm just going to get a shower and then I'm going to meditate. Anubis has got a lot of explaining to do."

...

"The opening of the gates to the Youjakai has thrown the Soul Society into chaos. The portals opening that connect the two worlds have become quite dangerous." Yamamoto spoke, his tone even. "Lieutenant Abarai reported that one of the ryouka was able to come through the portal. Hitsugaya-taichou, didn't you also have a run in with one of these ryouka?"

The white-haired captain bowed as he was addressed. "Hai, Yamamoto-san. The woman was able to penetrate the barrier and could actually touch me. I believe that these two women have incredible spiritual pressure. Most of the ryouka don't see us when we enter the world of the living."

Head Captain Yamamoto nodded. "This is a very curious case. I will be sending some of the captains and their second seats to observe these mortals. Have we been able to locate Anubis's whereabouts, Soi Fon-taichou?"

"Iie, Yamamoto-san. We've had no such luck. He's hidden himself well. There is no doubt, however, that he will be in touch with the ryouka known as Kima." The woman answered.

"Very well. I will be sending Matsumoto-san to Karakura to make sure the nether spirits have not spread that far. She will also be in charge of informing Kurosaki-kun and the others of the developments in Tokyo so that they may be on standby. Hitsugaya-taichou, you and Zaraki-taichou will observe the one called Kima. Kuchiki-taichou and his second seat will observe the second ryouka. Hisagi-san and Soi Fon-taichou will be one of the other groups assessing the situation in Tokyo. Hinamori-kun and Kira-kun will also go as well as Madarame-san and Ayasegawa-san. You have your orders. If anything were to go wrong, contact the Intelligence Department immediately. We will send reinforcements."

"Hai!"

...

"Nani!" Matsumoto exclaimed as she was given her orders. "The head captain thinks the situation is _that_ serious? Wow, he never usually wants to involve the substitute shinigami."

"Things have gotten bad, Matsumoto." Toshiro told her. "Under normal circumstances, I would never want to be paired with Zaraki, demo, if this ryouka should turn out to be powerful, I feel better having two captains there."

"Taichou! This is a human we're talking about."

"Hai, a human that can cross the barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead. She _touched_ me, Matsumoto. There's no denying that. She pulled my arm through the barrier. I want to know why these two ryouka can see us. Their spiritual pressure has to be phenomenal. It would rival Kurosaki-kun's easily. Just do as you're told and we'll get through this whole ordeal."

Matsumoto nodded as she turned to carry out her mission. Toshiro sighed as he left his office. He'd have to meet Kenpachi before they could depart. The hulking captain of the eleventh division was grinning as he met him by the main gate. Toshiro sighed as he was dwarfed by the other man's height.

"So, Hitsugaya, we get to watch some ryouka. I don't see the fun in that, but I'm sure it has the chance to get exciting. How the hell do we get to the world of the living, anyway?"

The white-haired captain was about to retort when a vortex appeared right next to him. The image rippled before him as he gazed into it. The land on the other side seemed to contain a small shrine of some sort that was surrounded by trees. The scenery seemed peaceful enough.

"That's how." Stepping through the portal, Toshiro felt the dirt under his sandals. Looking a little to his left, he could make out a large house through the trees. That must have been where the ryouka were. Not too far off, he spotted Renji following behind Byakuya as they made their way to the house. Shaking his head, Toshiro headed toward the shrine.

"Why are we not following Kuchiki? He knows there's a ryouka that way." Kenpachi asked.

"I have a feeling that our ryouka will come to us." Toshiro replied simply.

Kenpachi grinned as he let out a bark of laughter. This might not be so boring after all.

...

Kima towel dried her waist-length hair. Dressed only in a white sports bra and a black pair of cotton shorts, she made her way downstairs. She'd spotted Claudia on the balcony by herself before she got in the shower. The other woman must have been on the other side because she didn't see her. Making her way downstairs, she heard the others discussing what they should do next.

Stopping in front of the mirror in the hall by the kitchen, she spotted her black eye and a very nasty bruise that ran the length of her torso. Shaking her head, she let her hair go free and headed out the back door. It was best to leave before the others caught her and Sage tried to work his healing hands. A strange feeling came over her as she was making her way down the back steps. It was as if someone else were there with her. Looking to her right, she saw two figures walking up the stairs toward the house. One was the redhead that had been with Toshiro. The other was dressed similarly to the white-haired man. She knew that the others wouldn't see them, but what were they doing here?

She saw the redhead turn his head to spare her a glance before she met his gaze and looked away. "They won't be able to see you." She murmured as she continued on her way to the shrine.

Once she made her way into the shrine, she felt a sudden chill; much like the one she'd felt when she'd met Toshiro. Smiling a bit, she took a seat in a meditative position. Closing her eyes, Kima tried to make a connection to the netherworld. Anubis had to be near. Focusing all her energy on making a connection, Kima's brow furrowed in concentration. Within a few moments, the temperature dropped a few more degrees and a dim light shown in the shrine. Kima opened her eyes to see Anubis standing before her.

"You finally called on me, Destroyer. I'm impressed."

"Enough bullshit, Anubis. Tell me what's going on. I didn't think the Dynasty had gained that much power so quickly."

The ancient smirked. "After Dorian made the connection with Claudia, he gained enough power for the gates to materialize in this world. They've opened slightly but not completely. I don't know what he has in store, but I can tell you that Dorian is more ruthless than Talpa ever hoped to be. He will stop at nothing to take control of the human world. He tasted power when he was abducted and liked it. Claudia is going to have to understand that her brother cannot be saved."

Kima shook her head. "There has to be a way. We converted the warlords to our side at the end of the battle. We can save Dorian."

"Not this time. The man is beyond reason. You have to relinquish your hold on the armors so that the others may fight with you. If you keep giving the power back bit by bit, it will kill you." Anubis said, his stare unrelenting.

The blonde was silent for several moments. "I'll keep doing things my way. I can't help it. I don't want to hurt them, Anubis. I've caused them too much pain as it is. When I return their armors completely, it'll be my apology and my final gift."

"Don't you see that this can be avoided, Kima?" Anubis asked, slight desperation in his voice. "Return their full powers to them now and you can live. The strain on your body will be too great otherwise."

"I realize that, Anubis." Kima said calmly. "I will deal with that when the time comes."

The ancient sighed. "I've stayed too long. My appearance here will certainly draw attention. Think on my words, Kima, and please reconsider. You have family here."

With that, the ancient disappeared. Kima was left on her own in the shrine. Hanging her head, she realized that she really wasn't alone. Figuring that it was the two from earlier, the blonde shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes once more. The Ronin Warriors were going to need more power if they were going to fight this new adversary.

Concentrating on the five individual flames within her own, Kima was once again surrounded by the multicolored flames of the other Ronins. They flickered wildly, unlike the last time. They seemed to be whispering to her desperately, pleading to her. They wished to return to their true masters without harming her. Kima opened her eyes and smiled at the flames sadly, the expression alone conveying that she didn't wish to hurt her friends with the sudden rush of power.

The flames seemed to give in as a bit of each of them broke off and flew in a different direction. The wind picked up around the woman as the flames came crashing back into her body. Kima lurched forward, catching herself with her hands as she fought to catch her breath. It felt as if every fiber of her being was ripping themselves in half. Sweat poured off of her body, ignoring the black spots before her eyes.

Shaking her head to clear her vision. "You can come out now. I know you're hiding in the shadows."

...

Toshiro finally spotted his target as she was coming toward him. He could see the injuries that the youja had inflicted on her. Her eye was dark where a fist had made contact. A large bruise ran the length of her trunk and looked extremely painful. Her scar seemed to glow in the evening sun. The white tissue didn't seem to fit with her delicate appearance. It wasn't until Kenpachi spoke that he realized he was starring.

"Well, she's mildly attractive for someone with such a high spiritual pressure." The captain of the eleventh division commented, a smirk on his face. "I don't think she'd be able to draw my blood though."

"That's not why we're here, Zaraki. We're here to observe her. That means no starting fights." Toshiro corrected him quickly.

"You're no fun, Whitey."

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Whatever."

As the woman made her way into the shrine, the two of them followed, staying in the shadows. She seemed to be meditating at first, but when her spiritual pressure rose, that theory was thrown out the window. Toshiro recognized the ghostly form of Anubis as he appeared in front of her. Kima was able to summon spirits from the Soul Society?

He made sure to pay attention as they spoke. Anubis seemed to be trying to talk the woman out of sacrificing herself for her friends. She wasn't having it. She was determined to have things her way, which reminded him even more of Ichigo.

"Well, this is interesting." Kenpachi spoke. "She's able to cross souls over. The head captain will be overjoyed to know about this woman."

"What are you saying?" the white-haired captain asked.

"He could use her." Was all he said.

Once the specter of the ancient disappeared, something else began to happen. Kima was surrounded by fire. No words were spoken, but a sort of agreement was reached by Kima and the flames. Fire broke off and flew to unknown destinations, although the younger captain had a feeling that he knew where they were going. Kima fell forward, obviously a recoil from the ritual she'd just preformed. Toshiro took a step forward. The blonde shook her head, looking back over her shoulder at them.

"You can come out now. I know you're hiding in the shadows."

Toshiro was the first to reveal himself. Recognition sprung to life in her eyes as Kenpachi followed his example. Kima drug herself around to face them. Her gaze shifted to the larger of the two men. A grin placed itself on Kenpachi's face.

"I'm impressed. It's not every day a ryouka can not only sense us, but see us too. This is exciting."

Kima took an automatic disliking to Kenpachi and sent him a glare. "Toshiro, what are you doing here?"

The bigger man looked at him, quirking an eyebrow. "Toshiro? What happened to Hitsugaya-taichou?"

"Urusai. What did you just do? It took a lot out of you."

Kima chuckled weakly. "I just returned some more power to the Ronins. It's taking more out of me each time." She explained, finally slumping to the floor. "According to Anubis, I'm killing myself slowly."

"It sure looks like it." Kenpachi huffed, the sound of bells echoing through the shrine as he turned his head. "Why don't you be a good girl and listen to that old ghost man?"

"Cut it out, Zaraki." Toshiro bit out, pulling Kima into a sitting position in his arms. "Our mission was to observe and not make contact."

An evil grin spread across Kenpachi's face. "_That_ certainly looks like no contact to me. Is there something you want to confess while you're here?"

"You were sent to observe me? What were the other two doing here then?" she asked, looking up at Toshiro.

"You must've seen Kuchiki-taichou and Abarai-kun. They've been assigned to keep an eye on the other ryouka."

"The other…you mean Claudia. She's the only one that I can think of that would have the ability to see you. Sage and Cye will probably sense them, but they won't be able to see them. They've both got some empathic ability."

"You're just a bunch of weirdoes then." Kenpachi snickered. "What a great bunch of great kids."

Kima glared at him in a tired manner. "Look, I don't know who you are or what your problem is, but I suggest you shut your mouth. You're giving me a headache."

The spiky-haired captain laughed. "Just like that strawberry head. How is it that two people who have never met can be so alike?"

Another wave of pain hit her as she swallowed a groan. She felt a cold set of fingers brushing the hair out of her face. The temperature change had made her shiver slightly as she huddled a little closer to Toshiro's…chill. His body was radiating cold. Perhaps it was because he was a spirit…

"What did you just do?" Toshiro's voice jarred her back from her thoughts. "The fire; what was that?"

Kima coughed before answering. "Each of the flames represent a different armor. The armors were begging me to return the full power to their rightful bearers for my own sake, but I explained to them that this was what I wanted and I don't want to hurt my friends. They proceeded to tell me that it meant my own death. I just told them that I know that."

Kenpachi snorted. "So you have a death wish. You're not as strong as I thought. What an idiot. You're trying to be a martyr when you don't have to be."

"What do you know?" Kima snapped weakly. "Stay out of my business. I don't butt into yours."

"I've had enough of these childish games. I'm going back to Yamamoto-san and making my report. See you there, Whitey."

"It's Hitsugaya."

"Whatever. I'm going back. Pleasure to meet you, brat."

With that, a pair of old shrine doors slid open before them and Kenpachi disappeared behind them. Toshiro and Kima were left alone. The white-haired captain shook his head an looked down at his subject. He wasn't observing anymore and he was sure that Byakuya would say something if he was caught interfering.

"I should go. I'm in quite a bit of trouble as it is. Will you be alright?" he asked, concern shining in his icy eyes.

"I'll be fine. I'll lay here for a bit longer before I try to go back inside. I'm sure they guys will notice that more of their powers are returning and that will bring Cye running. You'd better go before those other two find you."

"Are you sure that you're going to be alright? I'll take you inside if you want."

"Go. I'll be fine. Thanks, Toshiro."

"I'm taking you in."

Lifting her up, the young captain stepped through the portal that had just appeared. Kima looked around her at the stone work of what he'd called the Soul Society. It was an incredible sight. Just as Toshiro was about to step through the portal that had just appeared, she caught sight of the huge circular wall that surrounded some sort of inner sanctum before she was back in the room she and Claudia shared.

Toshiro set her down lightly and continued to gaze upon her as she sat down on the bed. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I won't lie. I'm in a lot of pain from that last transfer, but I'll be fine. I just need some rest."

"Kima, things are getting worse. Please take care of yourself and don't take any unnessacery risks. I have a feeling that the head captain will be sending the shinigami in very soon whether the Ronin Warriors need the help or not. When that happens, we'll be given gigais to better blend in with the surroundings."

The blonde smiled. "If your gigai looks anything like you, you won't fit in anyway. Look at that white hair."

"Comical. I also need to tell you that you may have some run ins with the tougher captains. If you come into contact with anyone named Byakuya or Soi Fon, get away quickly. You've already met Kenpachi. He's one to steer clear of. I'll help you if I can."

"Thank you, Toshiro, very much. You're risking your safety, so you should go. We'll see each other again."

"Before this is over, I'm sure we will. Be careful. I'm just lucky that Byakuya and Renji have decided to post themselves elsewhere." The white-haired captain sighed.

"Now I know you've been here too long. You _knew_ they were here and you came anyway? You're either really brave or really stupid." Kima commented.

"I'm not sure whether I should feel flattered or offended." Toshiro said flatly. "I'm going. Get some rest, Kima. I'll check up on you later, if I can. I want to understand more of what Anubis said to you."

Kima nodded and he was gone. She sighed as she flopped back on the bed, wincing at the pain of the action. It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking over, Claudia was leaning against balcony door frame with her arms crossed over her chest.

"How long have you been there?" Kima asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Long enough." Was all she said. "So, you can see them too?"

...

End Chapter


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Kima nodded as Claudia dropped her arms and leaned back against the door frame, her vision split between part of the room and the outside world.

"Where's Dais?"

"Sulking," Claudia muttered, folding her arms again in her irritation. "I don't want to talk to him. I'm still mad at him,"

"Good. He needs the abuse,"

"It's not abuse," Claudia pointed out, growling.

"Then what would you call it?" Kima groaned and rolled over onto her side, curling into the fetal position for a moment.

"I call it the cold shoulder," Claudia moved over towards the bed and sat on the edge of it, reaching out and touching Kima's shoulder. "What would you call what you and Toshiro are doing?"

Kima blinked, slightly confused by the question. "What do you mean?"

"You two have known each other all of five minutes and you both act like you've known each other for decades,"

"He's nice, that's all," Kima took a deep breath and sat up at last, hugging her knees to her chest. "Why do you think we're the only two that can see them? And when did you even know about it?"

"Earlier tonight. I've seen the redhead, Renji, twice. He saved my life," Claudia grinned. "You should have seen the look on Sekhmet's face when Renji-" She stopped abruptly as Cye's quiet voice sounded on the other side of the door. Claudia rolled her eyes as he let himself in to check on Kima.

"Oh, hi, Claudia," Cye spared her a brief glance before leaning towards Kima, as if he hadn't even thought about the possibility that Claudia would have been in the room. Never mind the fact that she had been sharing the room with Kima for several days now. "Dais is looking for you,"

"Oh goody," Claudia smiled briefly at Kima before heading out of the room. Better to deal with Dais now than to wait until later when everyone was trying to sleep. She doubted they could keep their voices down once they started at each other. And speak of the devil, she was stepping into the kitchen to grab a snack right as he came waltzing around the corner and in through the other door. She hadn't expected to be able to avoid him all night, but she had planned on giving it her best damn effort. So she was extremely pleased when she turned around towards the other side of the kitchen and saw Renji and another warrior next to him. It wasn't the short spiky haired man she'd seen earlier. This one was much taller and radiated authority, yet was beautiful and carefully neutral. Stoic even as he looked at her for a mere second.

"We need to talk,"

The second her eyes met Renji's they rolled upwards at the sound of Dais' voice. "We don't need to _do_ anything." She turned towards the refrigerator at that moment to avoid looking at him and grabbed the first soda and piece of fruit she managed to find. She didn't really like Satsuma, but she could handle it just to get through this lovely little chat.

"There it is again!" Sage said abruptly as he and Rowen came into the kitchen. "It's like…it's weird, but…It's almost as if…no, it can't be…"

Claudia blinked, catching sight of Renji and the higher up giving each other a quick glance. "What are you babbling on about now?"

Rowen smiled a little at her. "I knew you were a Londoner! Your accent is more defined when you're irritated."

Claudia blinked again as a light blush touched Rowen's cheeks. Was he seriously flirting with her? And now of all times…

Dais growled, making her groan. "There is too much testosterone in this tiny little kitchen. If you'll excuse me,"

"No!" Rowen said quickly, tugging on Sage's arm. "Best we leave you two alone." He smiled a little. "Better you handle this now than later. We're all getting kind of tired…"

So much for flirting. Claudia glared at him as he dragged a very agitated looking Sage out of the room.

"Sage feels something _more_ in this place than he should. But considering the method in which Kima has chosen to return their armors, I would believe that disorientation is due to that. There's nothing here to sense,"

Oh, good, he was just as dense as she thought he was. "Great. Wonderful. Terrific." Claudia rolled her eyes and walked to the sink to peel the outer layer of orange skin from around the small fruit, not wanting to ruin Mia's kitchen when she'd just cleaned everything up.

"You need more than that. You haven't fully recovered,"

"Do you want me to put out your other eye with it then?" Claudia asked, digging her nails a little rougher into the poor fruit. "I don't have the time nor the energy for your misguided fussing. I can take care of myself, thank you."

"Yes, I've noticed. Sekhmet almost had you!"

"And yet he ran like a dog with his tail between his legs. I imagine from the stink of it that he may have shat himself," Claudia pulled a piece of the fruit free from the core and stuffed it into her mouth to occupy some of the time.

"I've never noticed that accent as much before. How many times have you actually been to London?"

"Lived there for five years," Claudia admitted. "My mother goes through phases with the places she likes to live and dad follows her. But I seem to have inhabited that same weird quirk. I've lived in London, Paris, India, even South America. London, however, was the first place I lived on my own. I think I might go back there just to get away from you,"

"Finding you wouldn't be hard,"

Claudia rolled her eyes and pulled off another piece of the fruit. "Stalker,"

"Hardly,"

"What do you want, Dais?" She looked up and blinked, slightly startled to see Renji standing in front of her. She'd almost forgotten that he and his other companion were there. Of course, in remembering his presence in the room, she forgot about Dais.

"Claudia, are you listening to me?"

"Clearly not," Renji chuckled, smirking when he saw the edges of her lips quirking up in an amused smile.

"Clearly not," She repeated for him, then tilted her head to look over at Dais, a coy smile on her lips.

"I'm glad something has amused you. We still need to talk,"

"I do believe we just did,"

"Claudia!"

"Fine! What!"

He made a face, one that didn't look pleased. "Now that accent is really coming out," He barely made it out of the way of the half eaten Satsuma that came flying at his head.

"Are you doing that on purpose?"

"She's got a good arm," Renji chuckled lightly, smirking as she turned and flashed him a wicked smile.

"It made you feel better, didn't it?"

Claudia rolled her eyes. "I'm smiling for entirely different reasons. Look, I know you want to lecture me so just get it out of your system so I can go kick Cye out of the bedroom so that Kima and I can get some sleep. I've been informed by the ever so nice Kento that Kima and I are going to have a busy day tomorrow. Apparently, my right hook is so great he wants to teach me how to properly fight."

Dais smiled. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees how properly you know how to fight,"

"Let me get a sword in my hand and he'll be bald," Claudia leaned back on the counter and grinned right back at Renji. "And I don't mean his head,"

"Oh, ouch," Renji smirked, really loving this.

Dais chuckled, too, which turned Claudia's mood again. Renji, strangely, was displeased by this and it didn't go unnoticed by Byakuya.

"Lecture?"

"Stop running off on your own. Let us protect you. That's three times now that the Master-"

"My brother,"

"-Dorian nearly had you. I don't know what scared off Sekhmet, but it definitely wasn't your right hook, not while he's in his armor. Besides, there was enough venom in that meadow to have killed you on the spot. You're lucky I got to you when I did,"

Renji snorted and rolled his eyes. "Idiot, he's actually taking the credit for that!"

Claudia blinked but didn't break her gaze from Dais' face. "Maybe I am. Or maybe I just have a really good guardian angel."

Dais sighed heavily and the mood between them seemed to shift again. "Stay with me," He whispered. "I'll feel better if you're with me tonight,"

Claudia frowned and clenched her teeth, shaking her head. "I won't."

He looked up at her, his eye narrowed and his lips pressed together. He didn't take rejection that well and it was plainly obvious he wasn't going to let this go. Claudia looked away first, sighing. He'd already staked a claim on her and had shown her plenty well that he wasn't going to give her up without a fight.

"Why me, Dais? Why do you want so badly for me to be your redemption?"

That threw him. "Claudia…"

She shook her head and popped open the soda she'd grabbed earlier, taking a sip of it and staring at the tile floor in thought. "I know how badly you're fighting the urge to join them. I know you, and the glory of that kind of battle is tugging at you. Your whole body aches with the need to join them. You were with them so long that the separation now… I can't be your redemption, I can't be your savior, Dais. You have to be your own savior," She blinked, her eyes clearing completely as she stared at the floor, something inside of her taking over. It was as if the world around her were suddenly crystal clear and she could see exactly the path she needed to take. "When I connected with my brother… I saw how far gone he was. I can't be your savior anymore than I can be his, Dais. But Dorian is beyond saving…you're not. So do something about it," Claudia finished her drink and tossed the can in the recycle bin.

"You think I'm going to let it go that easily?"

Claudia stared down at the bin and chuckled, closing her eyes. "I know you won't. But my decision stands, Dais. I don't see it changing," She lifted her head again, glanced at Renji briefly, then his companion even more briefly, then headed for the door. "I'm going to bed,"

...

Morning came much too soon. Though she'd slept well enough, she still felt a little drained from her exertions opening the Dynasty gates. Considering how many days had passed, she had a feeling it wasn't going to be getting better or easier any time soon. Dais was pissy and brooding, so she felt a lot better seeing Renji and his companion on the balcony above her as she and Kima stepped out into the yard and walked towards the others.

"We've got an audience," Kima whispered as the two walked towards the group in the yard. Kento and Rowen had lain out several large blue mats, each with a white outline of a circle within them. Sparring mats.

"He's serious about this,"

"All of them are," Kima shrugged a little. "It couldn't hurt. But, Claudia, please, go easy on him. His nose is only just now starting to heal,"

Claudia grinned. "I can't make any promises,"

Kima smirked a little as Kento waived her away. "Somehow that doesn't bother me,"

Claudia winked at her as she stepped onto the mat and stretched while Kento moved into the circle and bounced around like a boxing champ.

"So," Claudia bent languidly backwards until she performed a graceful backbend right into the circle. "Since I've already broken your nose, what else do you want me to break,"

"Yeah, yeah, you're flexible. Whatever. You've got a good right hook, I give you that. Now, I'm going to teach you how to properly fend off-WHOA!"

Claudia had hit the mat and spun around, sweeping his legs out from under him without even so much as the tiniest indication that she even planned to do anything. Kento face planted on the mat next to her and groaned as his nose connected.

"I guess your nose will need to be reset again,"

"Don't sound so smug!" Kento barked as he jumped up and forced it back into place. "Lucky move. Caught me by surprise is all,"

Claudia rolled her eyes at him and moved as if she were going to do it again, only to land a punch square in his belly. His muscles were like rocks, but it still winded him, though her knuckles were sure to feel the effects of that torture within an hour or so. He was tough, she'd give him that much.

So when Kento got a hold of himself again, there was no warning, no more talking. Now they just got down to business.

Renji, sitting on top of the balcony above them, watched with a coy smile. "She's a mystery,"

"Yes. She is," Byakuya admitted flatly. "Her spiritual pressure…"

"It's higher than Ichigo's, isn't it?"

"Strange for a human. Ichigo's spiritual pressure had an explanation. Hers does not. The other woman, hers can be contributed in part due to the armor she commands. But this one…"

"Okay, if you're stunned by it, then I know things are getting weird." Renji folded his arms over his chest and looked back down at the group. "We're going to have to get involved soon, aren't we?"

...

End Chapter


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Kima had been watching Claudia's progress for a few minutes and to be honest, she wasn't doing that bad. The others had already broken into pairs to spar, leaving her by herself. Great. That's when she noticed a sudden warlord who was standing not too far from her with his arms crossed over his chest. A sour look came over the blonde's face, but she knew that she needed to train.

"Come on, Dais. We never get anything done but fighting anyway. We might as well practice."

The white-haired warlord shifted his gaze over to her. "Are you serious? We'll start out sparring and end up burning down the whole mountain. You remember the last time we met to talk, right?"

"I don't care." Kima said, taking her place on the mats. "Fight me, Dais. You know you've just been _itching_ to."

A blatant fight with Kima _would _relieve some of the anger he was feeling toward Claudia. That would be a big help. If she happened to get roughed up a little bit, that wouldn't be his fault, right? Sliding onto the mats, Dais grinned an evil grin as he took his position. It wasn't long before the two were flying at one another.

Fists and feet were flying. The sparring match started out simple enough. Punches were thrown and blocked. Kicks were also blocked. The taunting was getting out of hand, however. Dais would make a comment that would spark Kima's temper and vice versa. The white-haired warlord seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit. The blonde, however, seemed to be pissed off. Kima didn't quite have her strength built back up after that transfer of power. Dais was right. They were going to end up destroying the mountain.

"I'm glad you got that shiner. You're right eye was looking lonely." He grinned at her as threw a punch.

Kima dodged the punch and aimed a kick at the side of his head. "At least I have two eyes, you bastard."

Dais grabbed her foot. "Ouch, Destroyer. Such harsh words." Using a sweeping kick, he knocked her leg out from under her, causing her to eat the mat. "You never were much of a challenge anyway."

Kima noticed a cold breeze before she bothered to get off the mat. Toshiro had to be around here with that hulking mass of fighter that she'd seen the day before. Her temper suddenly snapped as she was up off the mat in an instant. She was throwing punches that Dais was having a bit of trouble dodging. That damn grin was still on his face.

"Well, this is a little more interesting. I can't believe you're still trying, Kima. How pathetic. Do you actually think you can take an ex warlord of the Dynasty on your own?"

"I'll show you just what I can take."

That was when the white-haired captain came out of hiding. Kima's spiritual pressure was shooting up with her anger. His eyes widened a bit as he shot a glance to Renji, who was across the yard on the roof. Kenpachi grinned as he laughed to himself. If the captain of the eleventh division was taking interest in either one of the women's spiritual pressure, they were both in trouble. It would be all he could do to stop the man, especially if he removed his eye patch.

Kima had Dais on the ground as she was pounding his face into hamburger. Claudia stopped her match with Kento to watch Dais get his ass handed to him. The white-haired warlord growled as he managed to get his feet under Kima and launched her off of him. He was on the blonde in an instant, this time angry. She was blocking his blows effectively, rolling to knock him off. She grinned at him as she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Having fun now, Dais? Am I more of a challenge for you? Just because you _used_ to be a warlord doesn't mean that I can't kick your ass!"

"You think just because you hold all of the armors that you're the ultimate Ronin. I think not. You're a coward who doesn't know when to fight alone." Dais snapped back.

Fire seemed to leap into Kima's eyes. "I'm a lot of things, Dais, but I'm no _coward_!"

Toshiro cringed at the further increase of her spiritual pressure as she called on her sub armor. As the other man donned his sub armor as well, that's when the others stopped their sparring matches to intervene before things got worse.

Rowen and Sage were the first to start yanking the two apart. Sage was dragging Dais away from the mats as Rowen had lifted Kima off the ground by her waist so that she couldn't get leverage on the ground. The blonde fought him hard but was then forced to calm down when Cye approached her and took her face in his hands, turning her eyes to him.

"Kima, you've got to calm down. I know you don't like Dais, but we've got to work with him until this is over. You've got to get along with him for a little while longer."

Kima ripped her face from Cye's hand and managed to pull away from Rowen before walking away from the group toward the trees. She turned to them with a look of acid as she spoke. "I will _never_ be able to get along with _him_. We've been archrivals for years. That's not going to change now."

The blonde took off into the trees, closely followed by Kenpachi and Toshiro, though she didn't know it. Cye was also on her tail. She knew that whatever would be said, the two shinigami would hear it. Kima rolled her neck and waited for Cye to catch up. She made it about half way through the bamboo thicket before she turned around. She could hear the warrior of Torrent a bit behind her. It was when he made his way to her that she saw Toshiro standing there next to Kenpachi. She rolled her eyes and cast a sideways glance to the white-haired captain.

Cye approached slowly, careful of her temper. "What was that? You and Dais couldn't get along for five minutes?"

A hateful look came over her face as she shifted her gaze to him. "You have him try to kill you seven years earlier and then you see if you can get along with him."

"There's no way possible that you can pretend to get along with him? Claudia seems to already have gotten under his skin and you're making it worse." The warrior of Torrent sighed.

At this statement, Kima blew up, looking to Toshiro first as he shook his head at Cye's stupidity. "He tried to kill me, Cye! He almost took my eye! I've got this lovely scar taking up most of the left side of my face to remind me! Don't expect me to cooperate with him." She turned to face Toshiro, who didn't look pleased at all. "I'm done with training for today. I guess I'll be doing it on my own from now on."

The auburn-haired man sighed as he turned to leave. There was no point in talking to her when she was like this. He rarely became angry with Kima, but this was a rare case. The blonde was being unreasonable. Shaking his head, he headed back toward the house. He needed to make sure that Dais hadn't destroyed anything.

Kima, on the other hand, took out her last bit of anger out on the bamboo stalks. She swung her arm, neatly severing the stalks as she felt her anger dissipating. When she was sure that Cye had gone, she approached Toshiro. A serious look had come over her face as she stopped in front of him. The white-haired captain had a serious look on his face. He seemed to be looking her over, examining the sub armor as it caught glints of the morning sun.

"We've been given new orders."

The blonde's ponytail slid from her shoulder as she tilted her head. "What orders?"

"Abarai-kun and I have been given the responsibility of continuing our observation further. We will be coming into contact with you shortly." Toshiro told her.

Kima quirked an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Kenpachi guffawed as he looked at the woman that he easily dwarfed. "For one with such an awesome power, you're not very smart, are you?"

The blonde was about to retort when Toshiro cut her off quickly to avoid a conflict. "Renji and I will become visible in the living world. That way, it will keep any unwanted attention away from you or Claudia. "

"How will you be able to do that? You said that someone with a powerful spiritual pressure could see you. How are you going to appear to those whose spiritual pressure isn't that strong?"

"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Kenpachi asked. "I think my second seat is smarter than you. Yours too probably, Whitey."

Toshiro felt a jump in the woman's spiritual pressure which caused him to stiffen. It was then he realized what Zaraki was trying to do. He was trying to goad her into a fight. A scowl placed itself on his face as he sent a glare his way. "Cut it out, Zaraki. I know what you're up to."

"You're not fun anyway, Whitey. I'm not needed for this mission, so I'm going back. I'm sure that this won't be the last time we meet, X-chan."

As he disappeared through the doors, Kima picked up a piece of bamboo that had been cut sharply like a spear and threw it at him. "I don't believe him! He was making fun of my scar!"

"That's Zaraki-taichou for you." Toshiro said. "I've got to be going for now. We'll see each other again soon."

"I'm starting to realize that it's never that long before you pop up again."

...

The blonde man's eyes were hidden beneath the brim of his floppy green and white striped hat. If they could be seen, his orbs would be sparkling with mischief. The two men that stood before him had asked him for one of his top of the line creations. The two said men were now standing before him, moving around awkwardly in their new _bodies_.

"Well, gentlemen, what do you think of my work?"

The shorter of the two stretched his right arm, wiggling his fingers before he made a fist. "I'm impressed. The connections are incredible. I can feel everything right down to the blasted heat outside."

"You would be able to feel that, ice princess." The other man replied. "We'll be able to get out of these pretty quickly if we need to, Urahara?"

"Of course, Renji. I don't make things that aren't functional. You're able to free yourself from your gigai at any time through the use of a modified soul capsule or a disembodiment glove in an extreme emergency."

"What's the difference between these gigais and any other that you've made for us?"

Urahara laughed. "Funny you should ask that, Hitsugaya-taichou. I've been studying the armor of the ryouka called Kima. I've created something similar to her subspace pocket so that you may carry your zanpakuto with you as you keep it hidden. Kido may be used in your gigai as well as the shikai of your zanpakuto. For bankai, however, you'll have to be separate from your gigais."

Renji whistled at this. "Awesome. Now I can look hot and kick ass. Thanks, Urahara."

"No problem." The blonde replied, a grin still twisting his lips.

"How are we going to get Toyama from here?" Toshiro asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're the boy genius, Hitsugaya-taichou. You tell me. Don't the portals appear relatively near to the ryouka you're supposed to be observing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you see, ryouka are humans that have reiastu—"

"I know all that." Toshiro grumbled.

"I think he means that we can use the portals to get to Toyama." Renji pointed out.

Urahara laughed. "You're pretty smart for a mooch."

Before the redhead could complain, a portal appeared before him and Toshiro. The other side showed a paved street lined with trees that was bathed in the midday sun. Shops were strewn up and down the sides of the main street, cars moving along them slowly. Despite the circumstances, it would be a nice place to visit, or live.

"There you are, gentlemen. Good luck with your mission. Come see me if you have any problems."

The two shinigami disappeared through the portal into an alleyway near the main street. It wasn't long until both Claudia and Kima came into sight…with the other Ronin Warriors.

...

Kima had just managed to get changed into some dry clothes when she spotted Claudia standing in the doorway. A curious look came over her face as she waited for the brunette to speak. Shaking her head, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her keys.

"Mia wants everyone to go into town. I guess to ease the tension from this morning." Claudia said, stepping aside so the blonde could leave the room. "Dais's face looks lovely, by the way."

"I try. He kept pushing and I finally pushed back. Cye was getting rather mouthy himself." Kima said with a smirk.

"Let's get this over with. I'm sure the white-haired menace will want to have words when we get back. I suppose you're driving?"

"Hell yes! I'm guessing that Kento and Cye will go with me. That's a given. Mia has room for four in the jeep. That's you, Dais, Sage, and Rowen. It'll be a tight fit, but Yulie and Ryo could ride with me."

Claudia shook her head. "Dais said he'd take his car. Sage and Rowen are riding with him. Yulie and Ryo are riding with Mia and I. I guess it's just the three of you."

Kima shrugged. "That's fine with me. I want to give you a heads up. Toshiro let me know that he and Renji will be showing up in the living world and apparently will be visible when they do. I have a sneaking suspicion that they'll conveniently show up while we're in town."

Claudia grinned at this. "Well, this should be interesting. Who knows, it might turn out to be a good diversion."

"You're right, you know." Kima commented. "Maybe these two will prove to be more entertaining than the batch we have now."

The brunette paused a moment to see Kento sitting in the front seat of Kima's car and Cye in the back. "Good luck with that. I'll talk to you more in town. Ciao."

Kima fished her keys out of her purse and moved to start her car. Kento was unusually quiet as she crept in and started the engine. Cye was silent as he stared out into the distance. The blonde sighed as she started to follow Mia down the mountain. It was then that Kento finally spoke.

"I was hoping that you'd pound Dais to dust. Girl, you were on fire!"

The blonde giggled. "Of course, Kento. He was goading me, so I was really pissed off. My temper was going off."

The warrior of Hardrock laughed as well. "I would've liked to see you run him into the ground."

Cye hadn't said anything. A foul look had placed itself on his face and didn't seem to be coming off any time soon. "Why is it that you two live for Dais's torture?"

Kento seemed to think about this for a moment. "You know, you're right, Cye. Him practically destroying the left side of Kima's face and reminding her constantly that it's his art project wouldn't cause that. I don't see where him picking on me with his little Web of Deception when he thought I was the weakest of mind years ago would to that either. I guess we're just the bad guys, Cye."

Kima couldn't help but giggle as she pulled into a parking space next to Mia, Dais pulling on the other side of her. Cye's expression had darkened, if that were possible, and he didn't bother waiting for the other two to get out before he hopped over the side. Kento and Kima both shrugged before they got out. Claudia, Ryo, Mia, and Yulie had been the first ones to unload their vehicle. Ryo shot Kima a questioning look when he saw Cye's face, but she merely shrugged.

"I guess we should get started." Rowen said, finally joining the group. "This shopping trip will leave us men broke."

"Ha ha." Mia said as she rolled her eyes. "I know some of you who are just as bad as a woman, Sage."

The blonde protested loudly as he made his way down the street with the rest of them. Kima and Claudia had broken off a little ways in front so that they could get out of the midst of the squabbling. The drop in temperature alerted her to keep her eyes open. A shop door somewhere ahead of them opened and she proceeded to elbow Claudia in the ribs. Toshiro and Renji stepped out and were headed right for them.

"Holy shit," the blonde whispered through clenched teeth, "here comes trouble."

"Tell me about it." Claudia whispered back. "I think everyone can see them now. We'd better say something before they do."

"Yo! Claudia," Renji called and the brunette found herself blushing. The group following behind them walked a little faster to catch up with the girls, surprised by the two new arrivals.

It was Kima who made the first move. Jumping forward with a girlish squeal she threw her arms around his neck. She could see the crimson staining his cheeks and saw him watching her out of the corner of his eye. "Just go with it!" she whispered into his ear. "Toshiro! I haven't seen you since Tokyo U! How have you been?"

Renji seemed to be catching on as well as the higher ranked officer made his reply. "I've been fine, Kima. I've gotten a job in law enforcement. This is my roommate from college. You remember Renji, don't you?"

"Good to see you again, Kima. Good to see you again too, Claudia." The redhead spoke with a grin. "I met Claudia in one of the bars near the university. That seems like ages ago!"

Claudia gave a little giggle, which was signified that Kima had made the right choice. "Wow, Renji, you haven't changed much at all. Are you still hiding those tattoos under that headband?"

"You know it!" Renji grinned. "You don't forget anything do you?"

It was about this time that Dais took a step forward, a sour look on his face. He was looking over the two suspiciously. "Who are you two again and how do you know these young ladies?"

Toshiro tried his best to look nervous, but knowing the white-haired captain, he just looked more pissed off. "My name is Hitsugaya Toshiro and I went to college with Kima."

Renji's grin seemed to spread as he took a step forward, leaning on Claudia's shoulder. "I'm Abarai Renji and I was Toshiro's roommate at Tokyo University. I went into law enforcement just like he did. I'm just not ranked as high yet. Met Claudia a couple of years ago at a bar, been friends ever since."

Claudia grinned and looked away for a moment, much to the disapproval of Dais who took a step closer to her.

Cye moved forward to put his two cents in. "Just what rank are you, Hitsugaya-san?"

His reply rolled off of his tongue with no effort, not even bothering to lie about it. "I'm captain of the tenth division. Renji is lieutenant of the sixth division."

Cye nodded, but Dais didn't seem to buy it. Kima felt her temper rising and linked her arm with Toshiro's, sticking her tongue out at both the warriors of Torrent and Deception. "You're both jealous. If that's the case, we'll meet you guys back here in a couple of hours."

Claudia didn't even try to contain her laughter as Renji made a deep bow and extended his hand to her, grinning the whole time. When she finally accepted it, both groups made off down the street. Dais had never been so tempted to send his spiders after someone in all of his life.

...

The four of them sat at a small outside café near the main intersection. Renji was sipping away happily on his milkshake as they sat in comfortable silence. Kima took a drink of water as Toshiro was stirring his ice with the straw. Claudia was drinking some mixed drink as the afternoon sun was hitting them.

"So, how did you manage to find us this time? Portal?" Kima asked.

"We actually appeared in an alleyway behind you. We saw you as you were walking by." Toshiro replied, taking a drink.

"How did you get in front of us without us knowing, then?" Claudia asked, studying the redhead quite thoroughly.

"That's the beauty of these new gigais." Renji responded. "We used shunpo, or flash steps, to get into that shop. Flash steps are pretty much moving very fast without being seen. It's almost like we appeared in the shop."

"So you weren't able to do that in gigais before?"

"Nope. There's a lot we can do in these new ones that we couldn't do before."

Kima cocked her head to the side. "Like what?"

Toshiro smiled a small smile before answering. As curious as Matsumoto. "We can use kido in our gigais now, as well as the first form of our zanpakutos, called shikai. Urahara was also able to create something that mimics your subspace pocket so that we may keep them with us at all times."

Renji nodded furiously. "If we want to use the second form of our zanpakutos, called bankai, we have to lose the gigais."

"What's the difference between shikai and bankai?" Claudia asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Bankai is far more difficult to reach." Toshiro explained. "It takes decades to master. One has to make contact with the spirit of the zanpakuto, which is also part of their own soul. This is also part of the criteria for reaching captain status."`

"Then why isn't Renji a captain?" the blonde asked, leaning a bit closer.

Renji shrugged. "I reached bankai after all of the current captains did and I'm actually pretty happy being Kuchiki-taichou's second seat. You don't get much stronger than him."

"Except for that monster with the eye patch." Kima grumbled.

Claudia looked at her, clueless, as Toshiro offered a comment instead. "Kenpachi is one of the strongest captains we have. He wears the bells so that his enemy will hear him coming and the eye patch helps to put a limit on his power. He doesn't call on his zanpakuto. As far as I know, he doesn't even know its name."

"All I know is that he's looking for a fight. You ladies had better watch out. He's seen your spiritual pressure and he thinks of you as worthy adversaries." Renji added, a scowl coming over his features.

Kima was about to comment when an unbelievable gravity seemed to be pushing her toward the ground. She clenched her teeth as she attempted to look up and see what was causing it. Speak of the devil. Kenpachi was standing in the middle of the intersection, a sadistic grin on his face and his zanpakuto resting casually on his shoulder.

_In the familiar, dirty city_

_We walked with our heads down_

_Unable to laugh in the same way_

_People hurry past_

"_Has your dream come true?"_

_I'm still struggling_

Looking over, small bursts of electricity were rolling off the gigais. The amount of spiritual pressure had to be causing them to malfunction. Kima called on her armor, knowing what the captain wanted. As she moved forward, Toshiro managed to look up at her.

"Don't be stupid, Kima. Get out of here. You can't take Zaraki. He'll kill you."

"Claudia, get going. Try to find the others. I'll try to hold off this behemoth until the gigais recover some. Go!"

_I'd rather try living well now than go back to when_

_I was a kid_

_Cowardice is boring_

She watched as Claudia gave her one last look before breaking into a dead sprint back the way they had come. Kima met Kenpachi in the intersection with a grim look on her face. The captain of the eleventh division was grinning down at her as she tightened her grip on her sickles. His zanpakuto had moved from his shoulder to his side.

"Well now, why did you send your other little friend away? It would've been fun fighting two on one." He taunted.

"She had no way to defend herself." Kima replied. "Your opponent will be me."

"Whatever. I just want a good fight." Kenpachi said. "I'll even let you make the first move. See if you can draw blood."

_I went out to a place where the sun shone_

_And held out my arms_

_And thought_

"_Could I cross the sky?"_

_I still can't see any wings to fly with_

_It's because it's not simple_

_That I can go on living_

Kima was a bit unsure of this at first, but when he didn't move, the blonde decided that she would be the one to make the first move. Taking a great leap forward, she slashed him with her sickles and moved back to a safe distance. She was sure that she'd struck him. When the man laughed at her attempts to injure him, she knew that she was going to have to work harder.

Kenpachi appeared behind her, dealing her a rough blow to the small of her back with the blunt end of his zanpakuto. Kima gritted her teeth as the blow sent her careening forward onto the pavement. The shrieking of her armor reminded her that she had some protection as she rose to her feet once again. Kenpachi was still standing motionless, a taunting look on his face.

"Come on. You didn't even know I'd moved. You can do better than that. I _know_ you can."

A bright red glow surrounded her sickles, changing them to twin katanas. Placing the hilts together, Kima leapt into the air as she twirled the double blades. "Flare up now!"

A wall of flame came rushing toward him, engulfing the captain completely. Kima landed, her sickles changing back to their original form and a smirk on her face. The smirk was erased when a figure came walking out of the fire. His laughter echoed in her ears as he emerged virtually unharmed. Kenpachi had a different glint in his eyes now.

"Impressive. Now it's my turn."

_I went out to a place where the sun shone_

_Gripped tightly with my hands_

_I can smash that place, that time,_

_And change my life_

A blur came flying at Kima. She didn't even have time to move. Her eyes widened as she felt the impact of the zanpakuto with her abdomen. The crunch of metal splitting was an indication of how much force went into the blow and how strong the armor actually was. The actual force, however, was enough to shatter ribs. That was proved when the air came rushing out of her lungs followed by a thick vermillion liquid.

Kima attempted to stand up straight as she wiped her mouth with the back of her plated arm. Pieces of the asphalt were breaking off around Kenpachi as a shallow crater had been formed. Kima's sickles changed once again to the long no-datchi. She focused the weapon in front of her as it began to glow brightly. With a series of intricate swings, the blonde prepared to leap.

"Lightning Strike!"

Thunder crashed as lightning came down on Kenpachi's head. There would be no way that he could survive that. Kenpachi did in fact survive and was rolling his neck slowly. Kima felt her knees give way as it was getting harder to breath. The captain was in front of her and, with a powerful backhand, sent her sliding across the pavement crash into the side of a building.

"This is hardly entertaining anymore. I think I'll just finish you and get this over with."

_But there's no way I can tell you_

_Everything that's in my heart_

_It's because it's not simple_

_That I can go on living_

It was when he was approaching that Toshiro gained control of his gigai's functions once again and cleared his vision to see what was going on. He found Kima laying unconscious against the wall of some building or other. There was a bleeding wound somewhere on her head. The helmet was hiding it. The blood snaking from the corner of the mouth meant internal damage. What had he missed? Opening his subspace pocket, he removed his zanpakuto and ran to stop the fight before it went any further.

"Reign over the frozen sky, Hyorinmaru!"

_I go out to a place where the sun shines_

_And open up a map, but_

_I know…you know…_

_You can't help getting lost_

_I can change my life_

The frozen dragon raced toward Kenpachi, creating a barrier between him and Kima. The fallen woman didn't so much as stir. She was seriously injured and needed help. Claudia had headed back to the others, no doubt, and they would be here shortly. If it wasn't ended now, he and Renji would possibly get the blame. Not to mention Kima's life was at stake. Kenpachi grinned as he looked over to the shorter captain.

"Now, now, Whitey. You know you wouldn't want me to interfere with your battles, would you?"

"That's not the case this time, Zaraki! You can't kill her!" Toshiro shouted back.

The eternal grin on Kenpachi's face widened a bit. "Why not? Is it because you have a soft spot for her _taichou?_ She's weaker than I am, therefore she must be eliminated. I'm not fond of weakness."

Toshiro growled. "We need to make sure that this world and the Soul Society don't become permanently connected! Don't make me bring out my bankai, Zaraki."

There was a bark of laughter before the reply. "Fine. Feel free to schmooze here with your little girl friend. I don't care. There's always that other one to try. See ya later, Whitey!"

Without another word he was gone. Kenpachi would be reprimanded pretty harshly if the head captain found out about his recent war mongering. Toshiro sighed as he tucked Hyorinmaru back into his subspace pocket. Renji's gigai was now functional and he was moving toward him slowly.

"Ah man, what a mess."

_All the days that have passed_

_Have made me who I am now_

_It's because it's not that simple that_

_I can go on living_

Toshiro moved over to the fallen Kima, removing her helmet to discover blood-matted hair. He still couldn't see where the blood was originating from. He gently moved her into his arms and looked up to Renji.

"Her injuries are bad. I know her armor will heal some of them, but it could be too late by then. We can't take her to a human hospital or they'll discover who she is. What should we do?"

"Why not take her to Urahara? He knows that girl Inoue who can heal people, right?" Renji suggested.

"I don't know. We'll talk to Claudia first, if we can. I'm hoping that this doesn't end badly for anyone."

...

End Chapter.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Claudia suddenly appeared from around the corner as if speaking her name had summoned her. "Take her to whoever you need to!" She said harshly to Toshiro. "Hurry! The others are coming. Renji-"

"I'll stay with you,"

"Good, it'll lower any suspicion. We'll just say Kima and Toshiro went for a walk. Hurry, they're almost here!"

Toshiro nodded, collecting Kima into his arms before opening a portal and stepping through. The wall of ice from his Zanpakuto melted in the street.

"People will have seen that…" Claudia whispered, surprised when the pedestrians that returned to the streets didn't seem the slightest bit unnerved or disturbed.

"Kenpachi's work. He must have shielded the people to keep the fight hidden. It keeps unwanted people from interfering. Your friends would have sensed something, but they wouldn't know what it was," Renji murmured, slightly baffled. "What the hell was he thinking?"

"You said Kima and I both had spiritual pressure, right?"

"Have. Yes,"

"Huge?"

"Huge doesn't quite cover it."

"Then he'll come after me then, won't he?"

Renji hesitated, frowning a little. "Yes,"

"Good! He deserves a good kick in the nuts," Claudia looked around. "Let's get back to the café. The less nervous and guilty we look, the better. I already know one person who's going to have way too many questions to ask. I don't need all of them on my ass again…"

Renji took her elbow and crossed the street with her, frowning as he adjusted the black collared shirt he was wearing. He liked the style but he wasn't fond of the fabric. Now, the jeans he was wearing, those he liked. What was weirder was that walking with Claudia like that he found he really liked. He hadn't been this attracted to a woman since his crush on Rukia…

"You in there?" Claudia chuckled as they stepped back into the café and claimed a small table near the window that sat two people. He flashed her a boyish grin as he sat down across from her and lounged lazily in the chair.

"Mind wandered for a few seconds. Rare for me. I don't usually have a moment to let my mind slip." Renji relaxed in spite of what had just happened.

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"Urahara knows his stuff. And there's this girl we all know. Well, a girl we're all acquainted with. She's an extremely talented healer, actually. She'll have Kima back on her feet in a jiffy as if nothing happened. Kima won't forget it, of course, but it will seem like nothing happened,"

Claudia nodded as the waitress walked over and handed them both glasses of water.

"You know, it's strange," Renji mentioned as he leaned forward in his chair and wrapped his long, slender fingers around the icy plastic glass, lifting it to his lips to take a sip of the water. Claudia watched his hands and blushed again when he just smiled at her. There was something about his hands that just made him even more attractive. She squirmed a little. Why was she so attracted to this guy? Apart from the obvious, of course. Something about him just felt so familiar, like they'd always known each other and that their cover story had been true. She'd been attracted to Dais, but that relationship was just lusty. She didn't connect with him, never wanted to spend more time than necessary with him, but just looking at Renji made her want to latch on and never ever let go.

Her brown eyes widened a little as she gazed at him and something inside of her cried, "_mine__"_!

"Even with all of Tokyo's population vanishing into thin air, no one here seems to be bothered by it."

"You're right," She looked around, confused, but as her eyes met the TV screen in the far corner of the café, she relaxed. "No one here knows,"

Renji turned his head a little to look at the TV over his shoulder to see that the government was portraying Tokyo as busy as usual, with the only problem being the blockades set up, closing down any travel in and out of Tokyo. He didn't get a chance to see their excuse as to why Tokyo was being closed off before a menacing shadow fell over the table.

"So much for a relaxing afternoon," Claudia muttered, falling back against her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and looking towards the window to scowl at her reflection in the glass.

"I need to talk to you," Dais growled, reaching out and grabbing her forearm. Renji stared at the hand that gripped Claudia's arm and felt something coiling in his chest and as he looked up into her face, he heard that voice in his head, too, screaming "_mine"_! He felt his heart racing, felt the blood pumping through his veins before an overwhelming calm settled over him. Was this what it felt like? Was this what it had felt like for Ichigo when he'd imprinted himself upon Rukia? He _wanted_ Claudia suddenly, already settled with the reality that she was his for the taking and no one elses. Yet there was Dais trying to stake that same claim. This wasn't going to end well.

"Ugh, do I have a choice?"

"Yes, you do," Renji said calmly as he leaned back in his chair and looked up at Dais with narrowed dark eyes. His muscles twitched in his effort to remain calm and relaxed. He didn't like the way Dais was holding Claudia's arm.

Claudia, despite the hold on her, smiled softly at Renji before turning to look up at Dais. "I have nothing to say to you right now,"

"Why? Because he's here? How convenient that you run into an old drinking buddy-"

"So wasn't _just_ a drinking buddy," Renji said, suddenly smirking. Dais looked down at him, scowling. Claudia pinched her lips tight to keep from giggling. Of course, if she and Renji had actually met before this, he wouldn't have been just a drinking buddy. She liked him. A lot. A whole lot.

He was just so much more attractive than Dais, and not in the physical appearance, but in the personality. That and he hadn't kept a huge family secret from her for three years, which was definitely on her list of "reasons-why-you-shouldn't-date-this-jerk." Come to think of it, that was quickly moving up to the top of that list. Followed closely by eye patches and mysterious magical armor. Oh, and spiders. Spiders were a big turnoff for her.

"Where's Kima?" Cye asked as he approached the table, slightly nervous over the exchange taking place. Was it just him, or was there a sizzle in the air all of a sudden?

"She and Toshiro had some catching up to do," Renji said casually. "They went for a walk. Figured they'd leave Claudia and myself alone for a while,"

Dais' upper lip twitched in displeasure. Claudia sighed heavily and yanked her arm away before she stood up and faced him. "We can talk back at the house. Right now, I'm trying to talk to an old friend. Do you mind?"

Dais' eye narrowed as he studied her. She wasn't that great a liar.

"Hey! What's that!" The voice startled even Dais out of his concentration and forced him to look around with the others. There, on the horizon, barely peaking above one of the buildings off in the distance was…

"Dynasty gate," Dais breathed just as the ground began to quake violently beneath them. Renji jumped up and grabbed Claudia, throwing her down to the ground with himself covering her as the glass around them shattered into a million tiny shards. A Dynasty gate erupted from the ground just outside of the café where they had all gathered. There was no more sunlight, the gate's height was blocking it.

It was silent only for a moment but then people started screaming, started running. They knew what this meant because they remembered. In some dark part at the very back of their minds, they knew and they remembered. It was silent again before Renji moved enough to let Claudia off the floor.

The group was just standing there, frozen in shock. The people that had been in the streets, running and screaming, were gone. Vanished into thin air. There had been no way to help them and had any of the group been on the street with them, they would have vanished, too. Maybe…

"Why didn't they get us?"

"Spiritual pressure," Renji murmured as he helped Claudia back on her feet, careful of the shards of glass that littered the floor.

"Spiritual what?" Sage questioned, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Renji in suspicion.

"Spiritual pressure. There's too much of it in our group. The Dynasty isn't strong enough to take us," Renji took Claudia's hand, without really realizing it, and stepped out onto the deserted street. He glanced around cautiously and relaxed tremendously when he saw Kima and Toshiro racing down the sidewalk towards them. "Toshiro!"

"We saw it!"

"Just what kind of cops are you?" Cye muttered, staring at Kima in surprise. He still wasn't in a good mood.

"You okay?" Claudia whispered as she walked over to Kima and looked back at the gate looming hundreds of meters over their heads.

"Yeah, good as new," Kima muttered under her breath, staring up at it in horror. "They're popping up everywhere. Three of them to the south and one to the north. Not including the gate that showed up last week in the forest near Mia's house. They're gaining strength, little by little. But it's enough. The more humans they collect, the stronger they become,"

"Renji!" Toshiro grabbed the lieutenant's arm and pulled him back a few feet. "I think we should-"

"Claudia…"

Everyone froze as that sibilant voice drifted out through the cracks in the gate. Claudia swallowed hard as Kima's fingers curled around her arms with enough force to bruise.

"Don't, Claudia. Don't listen to him."

"But…it's Dorian…"

"He's not your brother anymore!" Dais growled, walking in front of her to block her view of the gate. "Claudia, don't listen to him."

Her eyes rose up to Dais' face, her lips parted in surprise.

"If you go to him, he'll destroy you to get these gates open." Dais urged, glancing over his shoulder when he sensed another presence. "Sekhmet…"

That snapped Claudia out of the daze and she backed into Kima who grabbed her and held on.

"You again?" Renji muttered, cocking his head to the side and began cracking his knuckles. The others gathered behind him donned their sub armor. It was all they could do.

"Have we met?" Sekhmet inquired as he slipped between the cracks of the gate in full battle armor, his twin katanas already in his hands dripping noxious venom.

Renji smirked as Toshiro stepped up to his side. "Let me take this one, Toshiro. He's not as tough as he thinks he is. Get the others back,"

Toshiro nodded once and turned back to the others in the group as he pulled on the disembodiment glove.

"Last night," Dais murmured as he pulled Kima and Claudia back several hundred feet. "You said Renji stopped him,"

Claudia didn't answer as Toshiro and Renji faced each other. Sekhmet watched, a curious, yet bored expression plastered on his face. A second later, the gloved hand of Toshiro slammed into Renji's face. It was a curious thing, seeing Renji's soul reaper form just flipping out of that gigai in full kimono as if it were a totally natural thing. Toshiro bent to catch the gigai and grimaced.

"What the hell did you eat for lunch, Renji? You weigh a damn ton," Yet Toshiro threw the body onto his shoulder and ran with it back to the group. Renji just smirked.

"What the hell did you just do?" Kento demanded, stunned. "Is that…is that his _soul_?"

"Renji and I are Soul Reapers, yes. That is Renji's true form. If not for wearing your sub armor right now, you wouldn't be able to see him at all without this gigai." Toshiro gently set the heavy gigai down at Claudia's feet and blinked as she knelt down to her knees and wrapped her arms around its shoulders, holding and protecting it, though her eyes never left Renji's form.

"Who are you?" Sekhmet inquired as he spun his katanas in his hands.

Renji just smirked. "Your worst nightmare," He unsheathed his Zanpakuto and held it diagonally in front of him, one hand at the hilt, the other poised just above the base of the blade.

Sekhmet chuckled. "You think your little costume and that tiny little sword are going to be of any use against me?"

Renji never even flinched. "Roar, Zabimaru!" His hand angled along the length of the blade and suddenly it changed. Instead of a katana, now there was a long segmented blade with pick-like protrusions on each segment. The shikai form of Renji's Zanpakuto.

"If these new gigais allow you and Renji to perform Kido and shikai without a problem, why did he go soul reaper?" Kima asked, a hand resting on Claudia's shoulder still. She glanced down at the woman briefly, marveling over the feel of her. Now that she understood what Toshiro meant about the feel of person's spiritual pressure, she was surprised she hadn't been able to feel Claudia's before. It was muted, as if it was being suppressed somehow, but it was definitely there. And it was resonating with Renji. She had to hide a smile. If Claudia's spiritual pressure resonated with Renji so soon, what must hers have felt like to Toshiro?

"Renji plans to use bankai," Toshiro observed, folding his arms over his chest. "He's a proud man, and the spirit of his Zanpakuto is much the same. See? There is Zabimaru now,"

Sekhmet's eyes narrowed as he spotted the great white and purple beast approaching the warrior that had challenged him. At first, he thought it was that annoyingly faithful tiger that was never usually seen far from Wildfire's side, but as the beast drew closer, Sekhmet realized it was something else entirely.

"Holy crap," Kima breathed as the giant nue, essentially a baboon with a snake for a tail, walked up beside Renji and stopped, growling threateningly.

"They can both speak, but the baboon is more dominant of the two. Of course, the bankai is a totally different story."

"In which case, Sekhmet will recognize his opponent by the attack," Dais murmured, eye narrowed dangerously. Now he was more suspicious of Renji than ever. There would be no trust between them. He glanced down at Claudia who was watching intently, her arms wrapped tight around the gigai's shoulders. He growled low in the throat, but no one seemed to notice.

"I like his style," Kento chuckled, cracking his knuckles. Kima smiled. At least Kento and Renji would get along just fine. They were both so similar in personality and character. Which was perfect, because Kento already wanted to clobber Dais into the ground. Now he had another partner in crime.

"Something tells me Renji really doesn't need bankai to kick Sekhmet's ass,"

"Is that his name?" Toshiro asked, quirking a brow at Kima. "What a strange name. Normally, no, but Renji wants this over quickly and that warlord seems somehow stronger than he was last night when Renji first faced him." Dais' eye, if possible, narrowed even further. Meeting with these two this afternoon was certainly not a coincidence now. He'd have to investigate further. He didn't like either one of them, but he cared less about Kima and more about Claudia, so that was his concern. He'd need to get Claudia away from that redheaded stranger, and quickly.

Sekhmet laughed suddenly and everyone seemed to snap back to attention.

"You think that strange little monkey scares me? Ah, Dais, the new company you keep. Are you sure you don't want to join us back in the Dynasty? This new empire is so magnificent. So much more powerful than Talpa could have ever dreamed. Join us, Dais. Nothing and no one can stop us now! All you have to do is hand her over. That's all we need. Just the girl."

Dais called in his armor with a single thought and stared Sekhmet down, hard. "I dare you to even try,"

Claudia blinked and looked up at him curiously, suddenly remembering who this man was. He'd been a warlord himself. He knew how the Dynasty worked. He must have been feeling that pull, that call from behind those gates, trying to get him to cross back over as the others had. He hadn't been kidding when he'd managed to tell her that he loved her. She was the only thing keeping him from going back to that and she wasn't making it easy for him.

She reached up, grabbed his arm and held on. "You take a foot away from me and I swear to god that I will kill you myself,"

Dais turned his head just slightly to acknowledge her then refocused his attention on Sekhmet. "I have prior, more important engagements, Sekhmet. I would ask that you join us, but I know that's a lost cause,"

"You're the king of lost causes these days." Sekhmet muttered offhandedly. "Strange company you keep, though, Dais,"

"Good company," Kima growled in response, making Sekhmet smirk.

"Perhaps. Now, I've come for the girl and I won't be returning to my master without her."

"Think again," Renji said as he swung Zabimaru outwards. "You may remember my friend from last night…Hihiō Zabimaru!" And the great giant beast exploded from Renji's transformed Zanpakuto. The great white baboon had vanished, replaced by a massive snake that surrounded Renji protectively.

Oh yes. Sekhmet remembered this beast. Last night he'd retreated, but today he would not. Not until he knew this stranger's weakness.

"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!"

"Everyone down!" Kima and Ryo shouted at the same time, but the venom never had a chance to tinge the air. Zabimaru attacked at the same time, effectively killing Sekhmet's attack.

"Damn you," Sekhmet growled as he recovered and leapt several hundred feet backward until he was back at the mouth of the looming gate. He was pissed now, and as much as he would have liked to retreat, he had a mission.

"Claudia," Dorian's voice again, startling even Sekhmet as it sounded as if Dorian were standing right behind him. "Claudia, _please_, I need you. I need your help," And then the gates parted a little more and a dark shadow filled that empty space. A tanned hand outstretched towards her. "I'm your brother, Claudia. Come with me,"

"No," Claudia whispered, wrenching her eyes closed tightly against the sight of him, one arm tightening around Renji's gigai's shoulders and the other clinging to Dais. Her anchors. Her protectors. "Dorian never needed my help for anything. _I_ always needed _him_. You're not my brother. You're not my brother, leave me alone!"

A nasty howling erupted from within the gate, sending everyone backwards a few feet. Now he was angry.

"Run!" Renji cried as Zabimaru attacked again, then quickly retracted. "RUN!" He raced back towards them as Zabimaru disappeared and slammed himself back into his gigai. "I said run!" He grabbed Claudia and headed down the street towards Mia's jeep, where she waited behind the wheel nervously. Everyone was quick to follow, piling into their respective cars. Renji grabbed onto the top of the jeep and held on, riding on the back bumper so that everyone would still have room.

"What's happening?" Mia demanded as they all sped down the road at break neck speed.

"He's trying to force the gates open from his end using all of the energy he's gathered from the people he took into the Dynasty. It won't be enough, but it's not going to be pretty when it's over. That amount of spiritual pressure will leave a crater we don't want to be caught in." Renji shouted over the roar of her engine. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

...

Claudia was the last to drag herself out of the jeep and fell back against it, hugging herself. Renji watched her for a moment, concerned by the faraway look in her eyes, but he didn't move. Dais was too close to the situation, and he needed to try to stay disconnected from her.

"Claudia," Speak of the devil, Dais to the rescue. She sighed quietly, as stubborn as ever, but her resolve was quickly cracking. Hearing her brother's voice on the other side of that gate was one thing, but actually seeing him… She had to be in pieces.

"I've been looking for him for seven years, Dais. I've just been looking in all of the wrong places." She closed her eyes, resting her head back against Mia's jeep. "What am I supposed to tell our parents? Not that they care… they gave up the search a few days after he disappeared. They never really did pay much attention to us,"

Dais reached out and she didn't reject his touch this time, though she seemed to throw up a barrier regardless. He touched her arm but didn't attempt to try anything further. She never looked at him.

About that time, an explosion from within the city rocked the earth beneath their feet, sending several of them stumbling.

"I told you we didn't want to be there," Renji muttered, staring off into the distance. "The gate has opened a few more inches. Spirits will be pouring into the Soul Society because of this,"

"The 13 court guard squads will take care of them. Those nether spirits are easily vanquished. It's the soldiers that take more concentration and only a handful are able to slip through the gates at a time. The lieutenants will take care of them before they reach the inner sanctum. The captains won't need to do more than watch for now," Toshiro said casually, his soft eyes narrowed as he watched the smoke climb higher and higher into the sky. "The Seireitei is protected for the moment."

"Meaning Zaraki isn't going to be allowed out because he'll have to baby sit his squad." Renji murmured, nodding as he agreed with himself. "That gives us ample time to train,"

"Yes, it does," Toshiro confirmed before blinking and looking over his shoulder at the group that was giving them both strange looks. Most were suspicious. Claudia and Kima, as well as Kento and Sage, seemed undisturbed. Toshiro had heard Kento's approval of Renji and his fighting technique but he wasn't exactly sure about Sage's resolve, unless he sensed something similar between himself and one of them.

"Is Sekhmet their strongest warlord?"

Dais looked away from Claudia and stared at Renji very seriously. "No. Cale is the strongest because he can bend darkness to his will,"

"We have no way of knowing the strength Dorian himself might possess,"

"He wasn't wearing an armor," Claudia murmured in response to Rowen's statement.

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything," Renji said seriously. "If your brother is anything like you, he won't need an armor. Your spiritual pressure, Claudia, is unlike anything I've felt in a very long time. I imagine it will surpass even Kurosaki-kun's if you ever step into your soul form. It took a tremendous amount of power to open those gates as far as they have been, even more to raise them in the first place. When he connected with you in the woods all those days ago, that burst of energy flowing through your body was your own spiritual pressure being tapped by your brother. Meaning he's weak. Weak enough that he couldn't raise the gates himself."

"But after seven years it doesn't matter," Kima murmured, her eyes narrowing. "Meaning he's been usurping his spiritual energy for something else, right? That's why he needed Claudia. Why use up his own strength for something he could have Claudia do? The question is, what has he been using _his_ spiritual energy for?" Kima shook her head, deep in thought now. "Anubis…always so vague,"

Dais turned on her. "Anubis? You've had…you've spoken to him? How?"

Kima blinked, brought out of her thoughts by his accusing tone. "What's the matter, Dais? Jealous that he came to me and not you?"

"Destroyer!" Dais hissed, donning his sub armor all over again.

"Don't you dare challenge me, warlord!" Kima shouted, suddenly completely furious. "I've had a really bad day and I am so not in the mood!"

Renji groaned, gravity pulling him towards the ground as the fierce spiritual pressure in the air skyrocketed. Even Toshiro, as strong as he was, was inhibited by it in his gigai. A few of the Ronins seemed startled and slightly disturbed, but their sub armors protected them against that energy so they wouldn't feel the full effect like Renji and Toshiro were.

"K-Kima! Reign it in!" Renji stuttered, struggling to get back onto his feet.

"It's not Kima!" Toshiro announced and the entire group froze in response to that statement. Dais and Kima both pivoted towards Claudia and were shocked back from their anger to stare in surprise. She was absolutely furious over the outburst.

"C-Claudia!" Renji gasped as he was forced to his hands and knees. "Claudia, stop!" He reached out, a struggle with the force of the energy baring down on him. "Claudia, you have to control it!"

"I'm sick of it!" Claudia screamed, her voice hollow and full of unrequited rage. "You lied to me about my brother. You say it was to protect me but I don't believe you. You're so selfish, Dais! Kima is trying to save us but all you want to do is harm her. I hear the pleasure in your voice when you talk about her scar. You're no better than them! You belong with them so why don't you just go back to them and leave us alone!"

"Claudia…" Dais whispered, staring at the energy swirling around her, the ferocious look in her eyes. What could have set her off like this? She'd seen him fight with Kima but she'd never responded to it like this before. Then again, seeing Dorian behind enemy lines after all those years of searching, of mourning a brother that had died a long time ago… she'd finally snapped.

"Claudia," Dais repeated, closing his eyes and lowering his defenses. "Your will is my life, dearest. I will do whatever you ask of me,"

The others stared at him in surprise, even Kima. Did she mean that much to him?

Renji was finding it harder and harder to breathe. They had to find a way to channel her spiritual pressure and quickly. The way it was rising, it wouldn't be long before even the Ronin's began to feel the full effect.

"T-Toshiro!"

"Go!" Toshiro pulled on the disembodiment glove and slammed it into Renji's back. The gigai collapsed in a heap on the grass as Renji's Soul Reaper form burst free from it. The feel of it now wasn't much different than it had been when he'd been in that gigai, but at least now he was free to move. Claudia's eyes were suddenly on Renji now, and they softened at the sight of him, but the pressure didn't ease.

"Renji?"

He stared at her, slowly approaching and reached towards her with both hands. "You can control it Claudia,"

"How?" She breathed as she reached forward and took his hands. The energy flowing from her burned his palms but he held on anyway.

"Focus your mind on it! Push it down and in and contain it. Do you got that?"

Claudia struggled with it while the pressure started to take its toll on him.

"Claudia!" Renji urged, squeezing her hands with enough force to break bone. She gasped in surprise, a response to the unexpected pain, and then the spiritual energy crashed back into her and was gone. Renji leapt, catching her before she could connect with the ground.

Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief as he straightened up again. Everyone just stood there, stunned, staring at Renji cradling Claudia to his chest.

"Well. Looks like I got back just in time," Kayura muttered as she landed between Kima and Dais, her hands on her hips and in full battle armor. "She'll be fine. The shock of it all just winded her,"

Renji looked up at Kayura with narrowed eyes.

"Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of the 6th division court guard squad and Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the 10th division court guard squad. Anubis told me that I would meet you one day. Considering who you are and where you're from, I didn't expect it to be this soon. But then, silly me, I should have known Anubis' remaining family would be just as special as he. Claudia Preston." Kayura shook her head slightly.

"What's going on Kayura?" Rowen demanded. "What's wrong with her?"

"Oh, nothing's wrong with her, Strata. She's just coming into her power. Claudia is a Soul Reaper. At least, she will be, once she receives the proper training," Kayura smiled at Renji, then at Toshiro. "And it looks like I've just met the two people that are going to train her."

...

End Chapter


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Kayura continued to gaze at the two shinigami as they stood in front of her. It didn't matter much that the Ronins were overhearing the conversation and would most likely not understand what was being said anyway. It had been just her luck that the captain and the vice captain had shown up when they did. Otherwise, they might be in a bit of trouble.

"Okay," Renji started, "How the hell is Claudia a shinigami? The ridiculous spiritual pressure, I get that, but that's almost enough power to rival Shihoin Yoruichi and Urahara! Hell, I bet she'd give _Ichigo _a good run for his money."

"I won't discuss details with you yet because I'd like to talk to her about it first, but will the two of you train her in what she needs to know?" the raven-haired woman asked.

"It will be a very hard job." Toshiro spoke. "Usually the techniques take years, sometimes even decades, to master. We have to start with what even the most green shinigami at the academy knows. Claudia is going to have to learn to control, hide, and disguise her spiritual pressure. There are enemies who know how to identify and track an individual based on their spiritual energy."

Renji nodded. "Then we can move on to the kido…That'll be first. Focusing spiritual pressure into energy-based attacks isn't too bad."

"Who are you kidding?" Kento whined. "She'll find some way to break my nose with it!"

Renji fought a laugh as Toshiro shook his head. "The most important thing is her zanpakuto. Connecting with the spirit of the zanpakuto isn't easy. It could easily take a hundred years just to perfect the shikai stage. Maybe we'll get lucky with her."

Toshiro looked over at as he heard the screen door slam. Kima had emerged from the house quickly and looked maybe slightly guilty as she came to stand next to the white-haired captain. "Where's Claudia?"

"I took her inside." Kima replied, shuffling her feet around in the gravel, suddenly shy. "She was already overwhelmed. I didn't think she needed to hear any more right now. She's asleep in our room."

Cye turned his attention to Kima before he shifted his gaze to Toshiro. "So now that I know that you two aren't old college friends, how do you know each other?"

The blonde sighed. "We met two days ago. Look, I really don't want to talk about this now, Cye. It's been a long day and I've already had a set of broken ribs and a cracked skull today. I really need some rest."

"I'm not going to let this go." Cye said forcefully, moving forward. "I think we all deserve some sort of explanation, Kima."

Kento interrupted for a moment, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey, I say that if they want to help us, then we should let them stay. Who cares if Claudia and Kima were the only ones who could see them at first?"

"I don't think so. Why should we trust them? How do we know that they're not working for Dorian?" Cye snapped. "You're a lot more naïve than I thought if you're trusting them so easily, Kima."

Kima's spiritual pressure spiked for a moment, shooting out in several different directions. One of the shots struck the warrior of Torrent on the cheek, causing a red line to appear on his pale skin. Sea green eyes widened as blood began to trickle down his face. Without another word, Kima spun on her heel and retreated into the house. She heard Mia calling after her, but ignored her name.

As she pushed open the balcony doors, she barely realized that she was summoning Anubis until he was standing right next to her in his spectral state. Her dimmed personality gained his attention right away. Her lack of will to fight caused his brow to furrow.

"Something weighs heavy on you, Destroyer. You're not as cocky tonight."

"Claudia's a shinigami, Anubis. You had to have known something about that. She didn't even know it."

The ancient held a thoughtful look before he answered. "I had my suspicions, but I didn't know for sure. I didn't want to go spreading around false theories."

The blonde rested her chin on her folded arms. "Kayura will tell her tomorrow most likely. She'll probably share her report with all of us then too. She's kind of like you in that respect; always coming with bad news."

"I'm so glad you feel that way." Anubis replied, obviously not amused. "I know there's something more that you wished to ask. You can't have called me here to chit chat."

Kima sighed as she continued to stare out into the wilderness beyond Mia's yard. "Claudia's a shinigami, therefore, she has spiritual powers. I'm just the bearer of a legendary demonic armor. How do I have spiritual power?"

Anubis seemed to be rolling his eyes. "Didn't you just answer your own question? The armor of Destruction. The virtue of power. Those two things are tied closely to the netherworld and, like it or not, the Seireitei as well. Having the armor for so long has given you the ability to harness the same powers that the shinigami use. I'm sure that there's some way you can develop them if you talk to the right person."

"You mean Urahara? He seems to know too much for his own good. I met him briefly. He's an odd fellow."

"That may be so, but he'll most likely be able to help you. You must deal with the task at hand first." Anubis commented. "You always did attract the weird ones. Is that all you wished to ask me?"

"For now." Kima replied. "I guess that I can deal with this as it goes. I'll have to train harder. If Dorian is anything like Kenpachi, I'm going to get my ass handed to me."

"We will see when the time comes, Destroyer. You still have time."

With that, she was left alone. The blonde sighed as she buried her face for a moment before deciding that the roof would be a better location. Kima climbed gracefully up onto the railing and continuing to the roof above. The stars were shining beautifully. With no lights polluting the sky from neither Toyama nor Tokyo, everything was clear. It was almost as if the world were trying to start over. The chirping of the crickets and the calls of the night creatures created a sort of wild symphony as the blonde continued to stare into the stars. With her new ability to sense spiritual pressure, she glanced out of the corner of her eye to spot the shadowed figure that had joined her.

"Fancy meeting you up here. How'd you know where I was?"

The white-haired captain took a seat beside her before gazing up at the navy sky. "Other than the obvious? I figured that you'd be someplace where you could be alone. Your friends are worried about you, you know."

Kima snorted a bit, drawing her knees to her chest. "They should also know that they should never come after me when I get angry, too. I didn't realize that you had a death wish."

Toshiro found himself moving a bit closer to her, despite her body heat. He was never one for any kind of warmth, being partial to the cold. In this case, however, it was almost comforting. "You can't kill something that's already dead. I've been that way for about two hundred years now."

"Alright, smart ass." Kima replied playfully. "What do you think of this whole situation? I mean, it can't be easy for you or Renji to try and work alongside us. I'm sure you miss your friends, too."

"I do what I'm instructed to do. I would be a disgrace to the thirteen court divisions if I were to return with nothing. As for my friends, some of them are ryouka like you. My second seat, Matsumoto, is in charge of the tenth division until I return. Renji is with me and I've met you, so I have friends here too."

The blonde turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. "I'm glad that you're not resentful. I was the one who reached through and grabbed you, you know."

"I realize that. I also made the choice to save you that day. So I believe that we're even." Toshiro told her, smiling a bit back.

"Why is it that you think we met, Shiro-chan? There were plenty of other people that portal could've opened up in front of."

"I think it's what you humans call fate."

Kima accepted this simple response and returned her gaze to the stars. The cold that radiated off of the white-haired captain didn't seem to bother her much anymore. She was aware of his close proximity and decided to slide a bit to meet him. There seemed to be some sort of magnetism between them, drawing them together. It was then that she realized that she was possibly becoming more fond of him than she was of Cye. How was that possible? The two of them hadn't known each other for very long and, simply put, he was already dead.

"If I asked you to stay, would you?"

"What?"

"Never mind, it was nothing." She replied quickly. "Slip of the tongue."

Before Toshiro was given the chance to answer, something was happening to Kima. The multicolored flames leapt from her body dancing wildly. Kima's eyes were wide and it looked as if she couldn't breathe. Half of the colored flames broke off and flew away, the remaining fire swirling around her like whirlwind before crashing back into her body. The blonde let out a strangled cry as she fought for her breath, fear evident in her eyes.

Toshiro gathered her into his arms before she had the chance to fall and made a small leap to the balcony below. He entered through the glass doors and spotted Claudia in bed. She was watching him closely as Kima had her head resting wearily on his shoulder. The brunette moved to get out of bed, but the captain stopped her.

"I'm staying with her tonight. No need for you to move. You need your rest." He told her, taking a seat in a large chair in the corner of the room, situating Kima on his lap. "She returned some of the others' power without thinking about it. Something triggered it. Something is going to happen, I have a feeling."

"With everything that's happened lately, I don't think it'll be good." Renji replied, leaning against the door frame before switching his gaze to Claudia. "I should've known where you'd be, taichou. You're getting a soft spot."

"Like you're not." Toshiro replied a bit too quickly. "She needs me…and I think I need her, too."

...

He'd been thinking a lot since Claudia had spoken those words to him. Why not give in and return to his brothers in arms? Cale and Sekhmet had been his only true friends when they weren't trying to out-do one another for Talpa's praise. Besides, she had that red-haired buffoon to look after her now. It was the shinigami that she wanted, not him.

Walking past the girls' room to his own, he could hear the whispered voices of Renji and the captain, Toshiro. Claudia was also awake. Now was as good a time as any. Making his way into his room, he closed the door. Calling on his armor, a dark gateway opened before him. Two grinning faces appeared to him as they held out their hands to him.

"Welcome home, brother."

...

Kayura grew deadly quiet in mid sentence as her eyes widened and her lips parted in shock. The mug of tea that she'd been drinking was forgotten, falling right out of her hands and shattering into a thousand pieces on the floor. The Ronins looked at her in question. The room suddenly grew still.

"Dais has gone back."

...

End Chapter.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Renji's eyes narrowed as he took a step backwards into the hallway and growled nastily, "Dirty coward,"

Claudia, her face set, pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She must have felt his passing. She took a short, deep breath, then blew it out in a frustrated huff.

"He'll come after you now," Toshiro said darkly and Claudia lifted her eyes to look at him. "He won't stop,"

"I know," She replied before falling back into the pillows so that she could scream into one. Sage and Rowen rounded the corner with Kayura at that very moment, forcing Renji to step back into the room.

"Claudia, since you're awake…" Kayura sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Claudia to roll over and pull herself back upright.

"What?"

"Do you remember anything that happened a few hours ago?"

"All of it," Claudia muttered as the others gathered in the room. "Hello? I'm barely dressed!" Kento threw her one of the robes hanging behind the door and, glaring at him sourly, she quickly wrapped herself in it and resettled. Cye was immediately pushing through to get to Kima, but stopped midway when he saw her in Toshiro's arms. Jealousy seethed through him, which wasn't like him at all. Cye wasn't a jealous person, and after so long without Kima, he shouldn't have been jealous now, but he'd thought, after the last few weeks, that they were on their way to starting over. Then these two showed up.

And now Dais, whose control had been spread very thin in the first place, was gone back to the Dynasty. One more Warlord they had to worry about. But even with Claudia there, he had a feeling it would have come to this regardless of Renji's presence. Claudia did seem interested in Renji, she made no attempt to hide or deny it, as a matter of fact, which had to have been a blow to the face for Dais. Of course, you also had to take into account that the entire three years she and Dais had known each other, she had been searching for her brother and Dais had known. He'd known all along. And his excuse that he hadn't told her in order to protect her was complete crap to Claudia because she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. That was her way of thinking, anyway. Everyone in the room knew she didn't stand a chance against any of the warlords. Physical strength, sure, but she didn't really have the means to finish the job.

Then she'd nearly imploded on them a few hours ago, proving Dais completely wrong. She was a direct descendant of Anubis' ancient family, so of course she'd have some kind of power. He was the only of the four warlords, or so they assumed, that had had a family prior to joining Talpa's regime. If Claudia did get the right training then she would probably be a great asset in the cause.

Cye glanced at Kima and Toshiro again and scowled. None of that mattered. Claudia and Kima were two totally different people, and while Claudia might court Renji openly in front of Dais without a second thought, Kima wasn't like that. They were starting over. Kima wasn't interested in Toshiro. She couldn't be.

Kima was alive, Toshiro technically wasn't.

"You're a Shinigami," Kayura said matter-of-factly. Claudia just blinked, not arguing.

"Okay, and what does that mean?"

"You're not like a normal Soul Reaper," Renji cut in, hoping to shed a little light on the situation for himself and Toshiro as well as the others. He needed to be able to understand this exactly so he knew just what kind of training Claudia would really need. "Then again, maybe you are. No Soul Reaper gave you his power, so you're not a substitute like Ichigo,"

"But then Ichigo's father is a Soul Reaper, not that any of us knew," Toshiro remarked from the chair. "Renji, I think we need to take into consideration that she may be exactly like us, but she's never had any reason to tap into her spiritual pressure until now. I would say that connecting with her brother to open that gate, and I know that was unwillingly, don't give me that look, Claudia, that the surge of power definitely woke her up. I would have to say that if we'd known about her when she was a child and given her the proper training, she'd be a captain by now,"

"You're joking, right?" Claudia asked, staring between the two.

"Not at all," Kayura said casually. "Claudia, think about it. You're incredibly strong for your size, you're efficient with swords-"

"That's because of Dorian!" Claudia barked, getting frustrated. "He taught me all those things. He wanted to make sure I could take care of myself." Her voice lowered and her eyes filled. "He took care of everything when we were kids. I never had to worry because he was there. He took better care of us than our parents. He's older, so he knew a lot of things. He taught me how to fight, how to fence. That's why…"

"And you don't think all of that spiritual pressure you possess helps you? Claudia, you can't give your brother all of the credit." Mia interjected before things could get uncomfortable.

"What does it matter now? He's not my brother anymore." Claudia swung her legs over the side of the bed and stared out through the balcony doors to the gate looming over the horizon from the forest.

"No, he's not," Kayura agreed quietly. "He hasn't been for a very long time, Claudia. Don't think your brother evil, because he's not. That isn't your brother. It's his body, but not his mind."

"So Dorian did die seven years ago?"

"Yes," Kayura said as gently as she could. "The connection with Anubis to open the gates weakened him. He died, but something else took over his body, revitalized the spiritual pressure within him and kept the body alive. Whatever is inside of him now, it's nothing of your brother."

Claudia nodded and closed her eyes to push the tears backwards.

"So what is it then?" Sage inquired. "A Nether Spirit?"

"No, a Nether Spirit can't hold a possession for that long a time. I honestly don't know of anything that can,"

"We do," Renji said suddenly, staring over at Toshiro. "The last time the gates opened, the Seireitei wasn't involved. There was no way for them to punch through. But this time, everything is different because of Dorian's spiritual pressure. Because he's accessed and crossed both realms. But no one in the Dynasty could possibly know how to do that. To know would mean the ultimate power and control. This thing is strong, impossibly strong."

"Then what is it?" Kayura asked while Toshiro seemed to come to terms with what Renji was saying.

"It's a Hollow. A very strong Hollow."

"Possibly an arrancar, more likely some kind of parasitic hollow,"

"What?" Renji stared at him but sighed, agreeing. "It would make sense. But an arrancar hollow that powerful…"

"I know," Toshiro whispered. "It's something new. Something we've never seen before, but it's definitely a Hollow. And something is giving him incredible strength and yet draining him at the same time."

"So that still draws us to the conclusion that he's doing something on the other side of those gates. Something we need to know about,"

"Correct,"

"I'm sorry, can we just back up for a minute?" Kento whined. "You can start by explaining what the hell a Hollow is, then what the heck an arrancar is!"

Renji sighed, folding his thick arms over his broad chest. "A Hollow is basically a lost soul. Soul Reapers are here to guide the souls of the dead into the Soul Society peacefully so they can continue on. Unfortunately, there are more souls than there are Soul Reapers, so we miss a few occasionally. If we don't get to the souls in enough time, depending on their cause of death and emotional state at the time, they become Hollows. The stronger the emotions during death, the stronger the Hollow. We only have a limited amount of time to get to them and see them safely through before they change. Humans can't see them, don't even register their presence, but most Hollows surface with deadly intent, mainly because they died in a state of rage, fury, any strong emotion. Some are hard to defeat, while others are just child's play. It all just depends on the situation."

"And the arrancar thing?" Kento questioned.

"An arrancar is basically a stronger Hollow. It's not a natural Hollow and is very rare,"

Toshiro sighed quietly. "Hollows are basically white ghosts with white, fearsome looking masks and no real solid body. An arrancar is a Hollow whose mask has been completely removed, allowing them to gain the powers of a Soul Reaper. They're strong and aren't to be taken lightly. But we haven't seen any arrancar in years."

"And this is something different," Kayura said over the rising voices of protest and speculation. "There's something new about whatever it is that's inhabiting Dorian's body. It's got a great deal of control over the Dynasty so we all need to be careful. Now," Kayura looked back at Claudia who was facing the group again. "Are you settled with the fact that you're a Soul Reaper and need training?"

"I'll never settle," Claudia snarled but she nodded. "But I understand now. I think…I think Dorian knew what would happen. That's why he worked so hard to make sure I was strong. He didn't want me to have to go into this blind,"

Renji smiled softly and nodded. "That's exactly it,"

She looked up at him and smiled, comforted by the fact that he agreed.

"Then we'll start first thing in the morning," Kayura jumped to her feet and grinned at Claudia. "I also want to test your ability with a sword against mine,"

"Of course," Claudia muttered while Kayura smiled and turned to Mia. "Where do I sleep?"

"Well, we've got an unoccupied guest room now,"

Kayura grinned while she and most of the others cleared out of the room. Cye and Kento remained.

"See, I knew there was a reason why she was able to get in that lucky punch!" Kento muttered as he reached up and gingerly touched his nose. "I guess I can't complain. That just means I get another sparring partner,"

Claudia looked up at him and rolled her eyes, though she couldn't quite contain the smile. So she and Kento would end up as friends after all.

"The armors have almost fully recovered," Cye murmured. "I can summon it completely now, but it's not as strong as it needs to be yet." He looked over at Kima and Toshiro, fighting off the scowl that was pulling at his lips. "She needs to hurry up and release the rest of it so we can be better prepared,"

"Those gates won't open for another month," Toshiro snapped at him. "She has plenty of time to give you what little there is left to be gained, leaving you with plenty of time to train yourself. If you need your armor just to be strong, then clearly you have enough training to do on yourself without it as it is,"

Cye glared at him but Kento clapped Cye hard on the shoulder. "He's right, dude! We need to do what we can to train and get stronger without the armors. We can't afford to be crippled in battle in case something happens to the armor. I've been there, man, and it ain't fun!"

Cye turned his glare to Kento then. "Fine, then you and I will be sparring in the morning since you're so enthused with the idea,"

Kento blinked as Cye left the room. He glanced around the room at the remaining four occupants other than himself and sighed heavily, rubbing his face.

"Don't mind Cye. He's just having a rough time of it. He's worried about Kima and it's hard for him to concentrate because of it." Kento shrugged, yawning deeply. "Anyway, I'm headed to bed! See you guys in the morning!"

"Renji? Toshiro?" Mia poked her head back in the room. "I've set up some cots for you two down in the T.V. room, if you want." She glanced at Kima and came forward. "Do you mind if I examine her for a moment? I don't like the sound of her breathing,"

Toshiro nodded and loosened his hold on Kima so that Mia could do a quick exam then blinked at the concerned look on Mia's face.

"What is it?"

"I had a bad feeling this would happen if Kima chose this path." Mia sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. "She must have known this would happen, so I don't understand why she would do it,"

"Releasing the power of the armors in these increments as she has been is draining her," Toshiro murmured. "It will kill her, won't it?"

"Yes," Mia whispered, shaking her head sadly. "And I'm afraid the next time will be the last time. Oh, Kima, what were you thinking?"

...

The sun wasn't even up yet when Renji, Toshiro and Kayura brought Claudia outside. There was moisture in the air and covering the ground, but the mats that had been lain out on the lawn were dry and ready for use. It wouldn't be long and everyone else would be migrating outside for their own training, so it would be good to start early before it got crowded out.

"You ready?" Renji asked as Kayura stepped onto one of the mats dressed in a comfortable light blue top and black knee length leggings. Two twin Katanas were tethered to either side of her waist. She looked at ease, relaxed, but her face was completely serious.

"Have you stretched properly?"

Claudia nodded, double checking the fluidity of her limbs again before she stepped onto the mat. She was dressed in a form fitting white t-shirt and a pair of light pink cotton jogging Capri pants. Her feet were covered in pale white socks. She wore none of her jewelry and had her dark brown hair pulled back in a tight bun with a thick black hair band.

Renji and Toshiro stood off to the sidelines, their arms crossed, their eyes assessing both women's stances and their potential. Kayura was wicked with her sword play, that much they'd gathered from what Mia had told them last night, so they were interested to see just how well Claudia fared against her.

"All right, we'll start with your fencing technique. I assume Dorian taught you how to properly handle a katana?"

"All kinds of weapons, but yes, the katana was one of them,"

"Good," Kayura undid the tether of the katana on her right hip and tossed it, properly sheathed, towards Claudia who caught the heavy thing with one hand and carefully examined it. She assessed the blade's potential for a moment before unsheathing it and testing its balance. When she held it steady and Kayura felt she was ready enough to begin, she leapt, and wasn't surprised by Claudia's quick and graceful response. She met the blow with her sword and pushed her weight forward so that Kayura had to jump back a step before going back on the attack again. They parried, tangled, danced for several long minutes before they both broke apart and stared each other down.

"Well, that's not bad at all," Kayura assessed, smiling thoughtfully. "It makes me wonder just what your zanpakuto will look like in its shikai form. I'm almost convinced that, considering your immense and uncontrolled spiritual pressure, we'll know immediately upon entering your Soul Reaper form. Your zanpakuto may never be able to achieve a sealed form because of it,"

"Like Ichigo," Renji mused, slightly smiling. He could only imagine what kind of form her zanpakuto would take considering her strength. In all honesty, his body was tingling in excitement. He couldn't wait to get on that mat with her and spar. He wanted to test her strength himself. He wanted to see her Soul Reaper form and throw Zabimaru against her zanpakuto. Most importantly, he wanted to help her get stronger. He could see a woman like her in the Soul Society, giving even some captains a run for their money. He could even see her as a captain one day.

"Enough," Kayura announced as they ended their spar. "You've proven you're efficient enough with a sword. However, our main focus for the next couple of days is going to be controlling your spiritual pressure. Toshiro, Renji, if you would." She collected the disembodiment glove from Toshiro and pulled it onto her hand before knocking both of their soul reaper forms from their gigais.

Renji and Toshiro both relaxed tremendously in their true forms. While the new gigais Urahara had provided them with made it more comfortable to stay in them, it was still uncomfortable to be in there after a certain period of time.

Renji flexed his arms and stretched a little before taking the disembodiment glove from Kayura. He slipped it on then stepped onto the mat with Claudia who watched him very carefully. She was primed and ready to fight and so was he.

"You ready to try this?" He waved his hand in front of her for a moment. Claudia hesitated then nodded once. "All right. Stay very still,"

Claudia was tense as he approached her and gasped in surprise as his palm surged towards her chest. She felt the impact of it for only a second before she fell, staring at her body as Renji caught it and gently carried it out of harm's way. She jumped up, surprised by how light and easy the movement seemed to be, then stared at the black kimono she wore, completely identical to the one Renji wore. Renji was staring at her, his lips parted and his eyes slightly wide. It was clear that her spiritual pressure in this form was giving his soul reaper form an even harder time than it had while in her actual body, but he was holding himself well enough. He must have been used to this kind of pressure by now, anyway. But he wasn't looking at her…

She blinked and followed his gaze to her feet. In front of her on the mat lie the strangest looking sword she'd ever seen. It was huge in every aspect possible. It had a striking resemblance to every gamers dream weapon; Cloud's buster sword. But as Claudia tilted her head to study it more carefully, she realized that the blade she was seeing was raised from the ground instead of resting against it. It was because there was another identical blade beneath it, encased in the same hilt.

She stared at them in wonder before she reached down, gripped the hilt and lifted. The sword was unbelievably light as she lifted it with one hand and held it at eye level to get a better look at the engravings at the base of each blade. Tiny sterling silver flames were engraved at the base of each blade, making it look even more fierce and menacing.

"Okay, then,"

"A bit robust," Renji muttered then chuckled. "I kind of figured you'd go straight to shikai. Just like Ichigo. Do you know its name?"

Claudia shook her head, absolutely mesmerized by the blade.

"Why don't you ask?" Toshiro encouraged lightly. Claudia glanced at him before holding the blade out in front of her and closing her eyes. She tried to focus her mind and clear it of as much thought as she could, thinking only of the zanpakuto and finding out its name. Several long minutes later she heard Renji, Kayura and Toshiro gasp, but couldn't let her concentration break. Whatever they were seeing, she'd see it well enough on her own once she learned her zanpakuto's name.

And then, like a whisper through her mind, she heard it.

"Sarubimaru!" When she opened her eyes, she was so overwhelmed by the sight of the white flaming horse standing in front of her that she missed the huge grin on Renji's face. The name was feminine to his tongue, and the horse was definitely female, but the striking resemblance to Zabimaru's name couldn't be missed. Not by him at least. How perfect was that? His strong attraction to her, finding out that she was a soul reaper, and now the name of her zanpakuto was this close in relation to his own? You could say, at this point, that they were a match made in Heaven.

So he didn't feel any guilt when he suddenly summoned Zabimaru and leapt at her. Claudia gasped in surprise, ripped from her mesmerized reverie in enough time to thrust her zanpakuto upwards to block his attack. She hadn't expected that at all. Renji was relentless, almost like Kento, and didn't let up on her for even a second as they danced around in the mat's white circle. He would thrust forward and she would meet his attack, but she wasn't strong enough to hold him off. Still, he didn't let up and despite her harsh spiritual pressure, Renji didn't show any signs of fatigue as he came at her again and again. And he was grinning the whole time.

Finally, they broke apart for a quick break, assessing each other very carefully. Sarubimaru was still there, as well as Zabimaru…and they were standing together.

He was still grinning when Sarubimaru bowed her long white head and shook her flaming mane wildly before vanishing, leaving Claudia standing there, her arm shaking in her effort to hold the zanpakuto steady. The release of her spiritual pressure and the sparring before that, combined with her first ever transition from human form to soul reaper and fighting against him was taking its toll. The density and harshness of her spiritual pressure was starting to decrease. Renji frowned as he came forward, wrapping his fingers around hers at the hilt of her zanpakuto to hold it steady.

"Move with me," He urged, aware of the exhaustion in her body. She must not have slept as much as she should have. He took a step backwards and waited until she moved forward with him before he took a few more steps and brought her back to her body and pushed her gently back into it.

She gasped once the transition was made and stared up at him, thoroughly exhausted.

"Is she all right?" Mia was suddenly there, holding a tray with a pitcher of fresh brewed coffee.

"Exhausted," Renji murmured as he stepped back into his gigai and reached down to pick Claudia off the floor. She groaned as her limbs protested the movement. "Do you have hot springs?"

"Yes, behind the house. They're about half a mile up the mountain. Are you sure you should go up there alone?"

"We'll be fine," Renji reassured as he swept Claudia up into his arms. "I've got her covered."

"Call if you need us," Kayura said, smiling, as she accepted a mug of coffee from Mia, watching as the others started making their way outside. The sun had started to rise, its first rays just peaking over the tops of the trees. It was a beautiful morning, and thankfully a lovely breeze was blowing through the trees, bringing the humidity outside down just enough for it to be comfortable.

"I can walk, you know," Claudia sputtered.

"Can you?" Renji asked, one eyebrow raised as he set her back down. The second she tried to match his stride, she nearly face planted. "Your muscles are locking up. I may have overworked you,"

"Oh, d'ya think?" Renji hefted her up into his arms again and flashed her that familiar grin that she was really starting to fall in love with.

"Why are we going to the hot springs?"

"It'll help your muscles to relax," Renji said as they made their way up the trail. It was a fifteen minute walk up the mountainside and when he saw the steam rising from the springs, he smiled again.

"I'm glad something has amused you," Claudia muttered, her voice strangled. The silence hadn't done any good for her and he regretted having not struck up a conversation. She was completely exhausted, her body and mind totally drained. Her emotions had to be running pretty high.

"Are you all right?" Renji asked as he walked up to the edge of the hot spring and set her back on her feet.

"Yeah," She snapped as she shoved his hands away. He'd been reaching for the hem of her shirt and she wasn't happy with that idea. "I can undress myself!"

"All right, I'm sorry," Renji said quickly as she jerked away, nearly tumbling into the spring. He sprang forward, grabbing her and pulling her back against his chest. "Careful…"

She sniffed, her hands pressed against his chest, her muscles absolutely screaming from all of the sudden movements.

"Take it easy, Claudia. You've been through a lot," He urged, his voice soft as he held her still.

"Stupid coward," She muttered, tears springing to her eyes. "Stupid bloody coward! How could he?"

Renji frowned at her outburst, quickly realizing that she was talking about Dais. He wasn't really sure how to handle the situation.

"He was all I had," She whimpered, collapsing against Renji so that he had to completely support her. "How could he just leave? How could he go back to that hell after everything he'd done to get away from it?"

"Some people aren't as strong as others," Renji offered as he eased her back towards the hot spring. "Do you mind getting your clothes wet?"

She whimpered and sniffled, but shook her head as he brought her to the edge and eased her legs into the water. Another groan escaped her, but it was one of relief. The heat was a godsend.

"There you go, easy does it," Renji cooed as he carefully lowered her into the water completely. He quickly shed his shirt and pants then jumped in himself, grabbing her around the waist and settling her down onto a natural stone seat in the water. She relaxed back, her head resting comfortably against the rock bed while the heat seeped into her skin and eased her muscles into jelly. Renji relaxed when he saw the wonder it was working on her. She was so strung up she could have snapped in half.

"Is that better?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath and opening her eyes to look at him, surprised to see that the tattoos on his face and neck also adorned his shoulders, chest and torso. "What do they mean?"

"Nothing, really," He murmured as he glanced down to follow her gaze. "Just tribal tattoos. I liked them. Every battle I win, I add another,"

Claudia smiled softly, her eyes following the downward slope of the tattoos at his hips.

"What are you looking at, girlie?"

Claudia blushed fiercely and looked away. "Nothing!"

He smirked sideways. "Right,"

"I wasn't looking at anything!" Claudia insisted, unable to meet his eyes.

"Okay, whatever you say. How do you feel?"

"Deliciously warm," She moaned, lying her head back and closing her eyes again. "This was a really great idea, thank you,"

"Well, you're welcome," Renji chuckled, claiming a spot at the rock wall next to her, submerging himself down to his shoulders. The heat of the water helped his body to relax, even though it was just a gigai, it was incredibly pleasurable.

Renji had closed his eyes and allowed himself to completely relax, so he didn't even know how close Claudia was to him until the fingertips of her right hand began gently tracing the shape of the tattoos on his chest. His body remained completely relaxed, but his muscles trembled under her touch. He looked at her, a faint blush touching his cheeks because she was wearing a white t-shirt and he could see slap through it. She was wearing a bra, of course, but it was still extremely revealing.

"You must have won a lot of fights,"

"What?" Renji blinked, confused.

"You said you add onto them as you win fights, right?"

"Oh, yeah, right," Renji seemed oddly nervous but he relaxed when she pulled her hand away and lowered herself into the water a little more so he couldn't see anything too provocative.

"They're beautiful." She murmured, looking away to avoid meeting his eyes.

"I thought so," Renji smiled now since it was her turn to blush. "Claudia, are you sure you're okay?"

She hesitated and then shrugged a little. "As okay as I can be, I guess. It's just that sense of closure now that I know Dorian is really dead and that there's some t-thing inside his b-body,"

"Claudia…" Renji swam towards her and wrapped her in his arms, pressing her against his chest. Her arms came around his neck in response and she held onto him as tightly as her exhausted body would allow. The closeness didn't bother him at all anymore since it was clear how perfectly matched they were. So he didn't feel guilty or hesitant when Claudia suddenly kissed him and he kissed her back. He didn't allow himself to feel guilty, even when things escalated to the point that he was pulling her sopping wet clothes off. Guilt was the last thing on his mind as they passed the point of no return. And by the time he was laying her down in the grass under him, he wasn't thinking at all.

...

Kento leaned against the doorframe of the TV room and smirked at the sight in the corner. Renji was sprawled out on his cot, one bare leg hanging over the side, snoring softly, Claudia snuggled up against his side with an arm draped over his naked chest.

Oh, he just loved it when people gave him good material to use against them, and he wasn't about to let this one go.

"What are you looking at?" Sage muttered, yawning deeply and heading straight for the coffee pot.

"Uh, that, dude," Kento pointed and Sage peeked into the room, rolling his eyes.

"You perv, leave them alone,"

Kento chuckled as he followed Sage into the kitchen. "She's not naked, so it isn't like I'm going to see anything. But come on, didn't you wonder what was taking them so long to get back from the hot springs and why Toshiro looked so uncomfortable at dinner last night?"

Sage rolled his eyes again, but he was smiling. "Come on, Kento. Let it go. Claudia deserves someone like Renji after having to deal with Dais,"

"Didn't know you liked her, Sage,"

Sage sighed as he sipped his coffee and looked out at the rising sun through the kitchen window. "She's not all bad. Besides, she's a tough woman and definitely a good person to have on our side. That and her spunk and attitude is amusing to watch. How's your nose?"

"Very funny," Kento muttered as he took a few sips of his own mug of coffee. "So, since Toshiro isn't sleeping on his cot, I can only assume he stayed upstairs with Kima…"

"And like a gentleman, he left the door open and actually slept in the chair. I don't even really think it could be considered sleeping. It was more of a deep meditation. That guy is incredibly strong for his size. I really don't think we should underestimate him,"

"I don't think you or I or any of the guys need to be worried. He's another good fighter to have on our side, but I'm worried about Cye, dude."

"You noticed it, too?" Sage whispered, glancing over at Kento and looking worried. "I know it's Cye we're talking about, but it's like he's jealous all of a sudden,"

"Kima does seem close to Toshiro, Sage,"

"Yeah, I know, but I think Cye is trying to make more out of it than there is to be made. And if she does like Toshiro on a higher level, well, can you blame her? She's been gone so long on her own, that it's hard to reconnect with old friends. Starting over with Cye after everything that's happened is harder than it sounds. It's not like they can just pick up where they left off as if nothing happened. I know it wouldn't be easy for me. There's just too much of a gap there,"

Kento nodded, finally understanding. "So her easy relationship with this mysterious guy she met three days ago is something Cye would be worried about."

"Yeah," Sage pushed off from the counter, washed out his mug and set it out for someone else to use. "Want to go on a jog before everyone gets up to practice?"

"Hell yeah, man! Let's go!" Kento put his mug in the sink without washing it and followed Sage outside just as Cye was stepping into the kitchen. His face was set, he'd heard everything they'd said, and it hadn't done anything but make him more miserable.

He stared into the sink for a moment, tense as he felt Toshiro and Kayura passing down the hallway to go outside. Kima had been out cold since the night before and he was worried. When he'd sent Mia to ask about her, Toshiro had said she was getting the rest that she needed and that no one needed to worry because he had it taken care of. Meaning he'd done something to her and Cye didn't like that one bit.

A second later, Renji and Claudia were up and about, both quickly changing their clothes and heading outside. Cye watched them suspiciously, seeing the arm Renji had draped over Claudia's shoulders and feeling a little angry. Renji wasn't even trying to hide it, not that seeing them asleep in his cot this morning wasn't obvious enough.

Several more long minutes passed before Cye realized it. Everyone was outside now, except for Kima and himself, of course. He headed upstairs in a hurry and ducked into her room to check on her, worried when his prodding and calling didn't wake her.

By the time he burst through the front door, Renji and Claudia were already sparring in their soul reaper forms, but he hardly paid them any attention.

"What the hell did you do to Kima!" Toshiro pivoted to face Cye, eyes going wide as the man donned his armor and leapt for him angrily.

"What the hell?" Renji muttered as Claudia came to stand next to him, her lips parted in surprise.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO HER!"

...

End chapter


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO HER!"

Toshiro had grabbed his wrists to avoid a blow to the face, pushing an angry Cye back as best he could. "I used a healing kido that would help her rest easier. Her breathing wasn't that good."

Using all of his strength, Cye pushed the shorter man away from him. A hateful look graced his face as he took a step toward him. "I'm warning you. Stay away from her. I mean it."

Mia tried to step up and sort out the situation but was shrugged off. "Cye…"

"What? Are you going to say that I'm out of line?" the auburn-haired Ronin snapped.

"I was going to say that Toshiro helped Kima. I examined her and she really doesn't look good, Cye." Mia took a deep breath before continuing on to the next part. "She won't survive the next transfer of power, which will be the last."

"What?" Cye asked, his face twisting even more. "How can you say that? If something does happen to her, then it's all his fault!"

"I told you," Toshiro bit back, snarling as he wrestled with the thought of tossing Renji the disembodiment glove, "I used a healing kido so she could sleep. That's all! You're making way too big a deal out of this."

Kento shook his head as he took a step forward. "Cye, man, we're all pretty upset with this news, but you can't go starting fights because of it. Dude, Kima is a friend to all of us. She's been back with us for almost two months now. This time, she's leaving us for good. Do you want to make the time she has left with us tense and uneasy?"

Rowen could tell just by looking at his friend that Kento had managed to tip the scale somehow. Something seemed to snap inside of the warrior of Torrent. "She's not going anywhere unless _he_ tries to take her away."

"I'm a shinigami." Toshiro snapped, rolling his eyes. "I'll end up being the one to perform the konso that sends Kima to the Soul Society."

There was some shuffling coming from the porch as Toshiro raised his eyes to see who had joined them. Kima stood leaning against one of the posts like it had taken all of her strength to reach them. Her breathing was labored as she fought to keep her knees from buckling beneath her.

"Enough." She breathed. "This fighting is stupid. You woke me up out of practically a coma, so I'm putting an end to this."

Cye frowned as he moved closer to her. "Kima, you shouldn't be up. You're still weak. Go back—"

"I don't think so." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm going to make one thing clear. Now is _not_ the time to be starting fights amongst ourselves. We should be standing together to put an end to the Dynasty, not fighting over who is whose girlfriend. Please, you two. Just stop it."

Cye nodded. "I'll drop it…for now. This will be settled one way or another."

Kima smiled as her legs finally gave out and she sunk to the porch. "Thank you, Cye. Thank you, Toshiro, for not using your powers."

The white-haired captain made his way back toward the house. He paused briefly beside Kima, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Kima. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again. I'll look out for you, I promise."

The comment was a little more open than Toshiro was used to being. Renji knew that much. Cye narrowed his eyes at the comment, but said nothing in respect to Kima. His armor was shed as he headed out toward the training mats. Mia watched as Toshiro pulled Kima to her feet before she rushed up the stairs and pulled the smaller woman's arm around her shoulder.

"Let's get you back into bed. That way, I can catch you up on what's going on. Toshiro, do you think you can use that kido again to help her out a little?"

"Certainly." The captain said, pulling her other arm over his shoulders. "I'll help you get her up to speed, Mia."

Toshiro could almost feel the sea green eyes boring into the back of his head as they retreated into the house.

...

Renji shivered as the cold receded with his superior. Cye turned on his heel and headed toward Kento to continue their training. That's when the redhead spoke up.

"You do know that you could never defeat him, right?"

"Nani?" Cye asked, narrowing his eyes.

Renji rolled his shoulders casually. "Hitsugaya-taichou is a captain of the Gotei 13. He's one of the strongest there is. They don't call him the 'boy genius' and the 'child prodigy' for nothing. He was the fastest through the academy and to reach bankai. If you were paying attention, you'd have noticed that the temperature dropped dramatically out here. Toshiro was really pissed off. Once he brings Hyorinmaru into the fight, it's all over."

"So he has great credentials. That won't save him from a fight with me." Cye snorted. "Child prodigy or not, Toshiro will have a hard time."

The redheaded lieutenant shook his head. This Ronin would not give up no matter what. It would be to his disadvantage to fight a captain, because he didn't understand the differentiation of power.

...

Mia had settled the blonde in comfortably and sat on the edge of the bed as Toshiro was performing his kido. Once Kima's breathing had steadied, she thought it was best to catch her up. Taking a deep breath she began.

"You've missed so much in twenty-four hours, Kima. Dais has returned to the Dynasty. I have a feeling that you're going to have a rather nasty fight with him once again."

"That doesn't surprise me. He's a drama queen. We're like fire and ice when it comes to fighting one another. This should be a good last fight."

The brunette shook her head. "We've discovered that Dorian is being inhabited possibly by an arrancar. It's a type of Hollow. Kayura gave us this information since she decided to go ahead and tell Claudia about being a shinigami. She started her training with Toshiro and Renji yesterday."

Kima didn't even try to sit up. "How did that go?"

"Surprisingly well." Toshiro replied. "She achieved shikai rather quickly and met her zanpakuto's spirit. We're not pushing anything, but hopefully she'll be able to reach bankai with relative ease after a few months of proper training."

Kima nodded as she closed her eyes, feeling the dizziness coming on. "I only hope that that jerk Dais knows that I'm going to kick his ass when I see him again. I know this has hurt Claudia."

"Yes, well, you're not going to do much if you're still as exhausted as you are. You need rest." Mia told her in scolding manner. "You know that I'm not one to let bad health go unattended. You will get better before I let you out of bed. Now, I'm going to get you a few bottles of water so you can go back to sleep without being bothered."

Mia rose from the bed, leaving the two alone. Kima allowed her eyes to crack open a bit, peeking at Toshiro with one eye. He might be watching her closely, but he wouldn't keep her from sitting up if she wished it. His icy blue eyes were focused on her as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Their gazes met as a light blush covered Kima's cheeks.

"You know that what woke me up was the chill in the air, right? It was freezing even up here."

"I apologize. I was angry and usually the angrier I get the more the temperature seems to drop. I didn't even realize it was happening. Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive." Kima said, smiling as she slyly slid her fingers between his. "What else have I missed that Mia didn't tell me?"

The white-haired captain grinned a little. "There is the small detail that Renji and Claudia have gotten _very_ close to one another. Kento is convinced that something went on while they were up at the hot springs. I can guarantee that he's right. Renji has never been one to ignore his heart."

The blonde nodded as she turned her attention out to the balcony. How her life had turned into a crash course of conflict and self-ruin, she'd never figure out. A weight felt like it had been put on her shoulders suddenly. She'd managed to hear the others talking outside. They knew her final power transfer would be her last. She didn't want them to treat her like she was some frail object that could break at any second. Ryo would be extremely cautious about sending her anywhere alone from now on. Not to mention the inevitable upcoming fight with Dais. That would be a revenge match to the end. This time, there would be no stopping it until one of them was dead.

"You're deep in thought." Toshiro mused, tightening his grip on her hand a bit.

Kima sighed. "I'm not looking forward to this fight with Dais. He'll come after me. It'll be solely for revenge and it won't be over until he or myself are dead. There's a tension that's been there for years and it won't go away now."

The captain continued to stare at her. "There's more on your mind than that."

"I heard what Mia was explaining to the guys outside. They know I'm going to die to return their armor to them. I don't want to be treated like some sort of piece of glass that's going to break at the slightest touch. I know the time is getting closer and I'm not scared. I'm just hoping that you'll be able to do the konso, Toshiro."

It was then that he gathered her into his arms. A bright blush decorated her cheeks as she inhaled his scent deeply and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him rest his chin on her hair. "You know that you don't always have to be a warrior, Kima. You can open up a bit, you know. Why do you close yourself off?"

"I'm a very proud person, Toshiro. I don't show weakness. I learned that enemies could see these weaknesses and use them against me. They could crush me with my feelings. I've gotten used to it."

Toshiro pulled her back so that he could look at her. All of her emotions were swirling in her eyes as she was held captive by his stare. Placing both his hands on her face, he brought his lips to hers. Her heat was almost soothing as she moved closer to him. Cracking an eye open, he saw Cye frozen in the doorway. This would not bode well. There would undoubtedly be another fight. Making sure that the spy had left the door way, Toshiro broke this kiss and rose to his feet. Mia was just on her way back in the door.

"Here, Kima. Now you can get some rest." She said before turning to Toshiro. "As for you, out with you. Kima needs her rest and you're a distraction. Go train with the others or something."

Mia gently pushed him out the door as she followed, closing the door behind her. By the angry look on Cye's face, she pretty much knew what was going on. Sighing, the brunette followed the captain downstairs and out the door, crossing her fingers that what was about to happen next didn't happen at all.

...

As he saw the white-haired captain make his way over to Renji, rage burned inside of him. He'd just crossed a line that he thought was set in concrete. There he was, just talking as if he'd done nothing wrong. He didn't even register that Kento was talking to him. Then Toshiro sent him a look that he thought meant a challenge. That's when he strode up to him and punched him in the jaw with no warning.

"Cye, what are you doing, man!" Kento shouted as he stood there, waiting for the captain's reaction.

"To lower myself to such _barbaric_ human behavior is below my station. To hit you back would be an insult to my standards."

The redhead was looking on with a glint of worry in his eye. Toshiro would _destroy_ him if he kept pushing. The captain smirked, which couldn't have been a good sign, before drawing his arm back and slamming his fist right into Cye's jaw.

"But we're not in my territory, are we?"

The warrior of Torrent spun back around quickly, throwing all his weight into Hitsugaya. Both men were sent to the ground, exchanging blows as they went. Cye made a motion to connect his fist with the smaller man's eye, but found it encased in ice as he was flung into the grass. No sooner did he turn around than he caught sight of Toshiro's gigai laying on the ground behind Renji and the blade of his zanpakuto to his throat.

"I suggest you stop this foolishness now. I would hate to have to kill you in front of all of your friends."

Cye glared at him not saying a word. "Kill me if you think it'll help. Send me to your Soul Society. What point will you prove then? You'll be just as savage as me."

A cold gust of wind tossed his hair as he squinted his eyes to avoid the little bits of ice that flew around him. "That would be a waste of me calling out Hyorinmaru. You're lucky. I could've frozen your lungs easily. Now get up."

The auburn-haired Ronin rose to his feet, snarling as he did so. "You may think you're intimidating with that chill and your sword and your captain's rank, but I'm not scared of you. You couldn't fight me man to man."

The captain's eyes seemed to glow with fury, radiating a layer of ice. "I could fight you if I so wished it. I chose not to so that I could honor Kima's wishes. If I had wanted to demolish you, I'd have done so."

Cye snorted as Toshiro replaced himself in his gigai. Cracking his neck, there was a bruise forming on his jaw. His zanpakuto was already stored in his subspace pocket. Without another word, Toshiro returned to the house. It was assumed that he was going to get ice for his jaw. Mia, on the other hand, was standing on the porch fuming with her fists clenched.

"I have one thing to say to you and one thing only." She stated, the volume of her voice rising steadily. "You will stop this idiot campaign of yours or you will be staying somewhere else, do you understand me, Cye Mouri?"

Cye nodded before disappearing in the direction of the lake. The other Ronins stood in silence and Renji and Claudia continued with their training. Their team spirit seemed to be falling apart. Ryo sighed as he decided to go after the warrior of Torrent so that he could possibly find out what was going on. Mia also headed back in the house, slamming the door behind her, so she could prepare lunch and check on Toshiro's jaw.

...

_ Everything was lost in darkness as there was no noise at all. It stayed like that for several minutes before there was an explosion of color and sound. Her last moments of consciousness replayed before her eyes. The instant that his lips connected with hers, something surged through her. A frigid wave washed her from head to toe and Mia came to take him away._

_ What appeared in Kima's vision next, she didn't recognize. Light colored marble adorned everything. Then the lighting changed to a dim setting and it looked like she was in an inner chamber. Twelve men and women lined the sides of the room with an elderly man at the head. He must've been the head captain that the others had mentioned. _

_ "Captains of the Gotei 13, the situation in the Ningenkai has gotten decidedly worse. From the reports I've received from our agents in the field, the Youjakai is getting closer and closer to crossing over. From the information I've obtained from Hitsugaya-taichou and Abarai-fukutaichou, we are dealing with an Arrancar who is running the Youjakai. This is no longer an affair for the humans and the ryouka to handle. We have reason to believe that this is part of Aizen's doing and the gates to the Youjakai are connected to Hueco Mundo."_

_ "Sotaichou!" A male with long white hair cried as he took a step forward. "We have no proof of this! If we were to send all captains to these gates, the Seireitei would be left unprotected!"_

_ "I understand this, Ukitake-taichou. I am sending Hitsugaya-taichou's second seat with a message for him. Matsumoto-fukutaichou will then be sent to Kurosaki-kun with a message to get to the nearest gate. Perhaps we can use the Soukyouku to open the gates and crush the opposition before they become too powerful."_

_ "Sotaichou, I believe that there must be another way. If we were to open the gates, that could be just what the enemy wants." A fox-headed being stated._

_ "Komamura-taichou, I understand your hesitance, but my decision still stands. We will move on my command and the chosen captains will be notified."_

_ "Hai!"_

_ The scenery changed from the meeting room to a comfortable office somewhere on the grounds. A strawberry blonde was sitting behind a desk with a large stack of paperwork with her chin resting in the palm of her hand. She groaned loudly as she flopped her forehead down on the desk._

_ "No fair! Taichou left me with all this paperwork! He's going to be in trouble when he gets back. I hope that girl isn't giving him trouble."_

_ The door slid open a bit and a small brunette stuck her head through the door. She looked around the room until she spotted the woman behind the desk. "Oi, Matsumoto-san! I didn't see you behind all the records!"_

_ "I'm here, Hinamori-kun. Since Hitsugaya-taichou has been gone, the paperwork has been increasing!"_

_ The smaller of the two sighed as she took a seat on the sofa. "Matsumoto-san, I'm worried. Shiro-chan hasn't made contact with any of us in the past few days when he's made his reports. He and Abarai-kun seem to be distracted."_

_ "Haven't you heard, Momo? The ryouka that they're suppose to be looking after are both female. Of course their attention is clearly not on their fellow officers and such."_

_ "Oh." Hinamori replied, sounding a bit depressed. "I hope that Shiro-chan knows what he's doing. I can't help but worry that he's going to get hurt from all of this."_

_ The strawberry blonde waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "I don't think they have anything strong enough to hurt the captain."_

_ "I didn't mean it that way, Rangiku-san. I meant emotionally. I think he's going to lose a lot on this mission. I only wish we could help him."_

_ There was another knock on the door. A small messenger quickly entered and bowed, giving a scroll to Matsumoto. As he left, the lieutenant had unrolled it and was reading the message written there. The head captain's seal was at the bottom. This was official._

_ "Well, Hinamori-kun, it looks like I'll be getting to see Hitsugaya-taichou very soon. I've got a message to deliver to him and then I'm off to Karakura Town. I'll be quite busy."_

...

End Chapter.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"All right. That's enough fooling around,"

Claudia landed heavily and stumbled, out of breath and thoroughly exhausted. He was wearing her completely down with little to no effort and he was calling that fooling around? She was going to bash his head in with the hilt of his own stupid zanpakuto before it was over with. If she could ever catch him.

Huffing, she forced herself upright and lifted her zanpakuto from the ground. The look on his face meant he was absolutely serious, not that he wasn't before, but now it was more intense. He'd been trying all morning, well, two hours of it at least, to get her to use the full capacity of her zanpakuto and its ability. Neither of them knew just what it was capable of yet, and that was the point. Of course, he hadn't shown her what Zabimaru could do other than his bankai form, either. But he and Toshiro both said if she didn't figure this simple stage out, she'd never reach bankai.

Of course, both of them had also said there was no way in hell it was going to happen overnight. So why was Renji so insistent that they keep going? That she try harder? She was exhausted, far beyond her capacity to keep going, yet he barely seemed to be sweating. Why? Because he was stronger or because he had more experience? Or both? Or neither?

Claudia stared at him while she tried to regain control of her breathing and keep Sarubimaru steady in her hands. Then she saw it, in his eyes. He wasn't fighting that spiritual pressure that he commanded, he was molding it, using it, within his body. He knew how to control it, which gave him more strength than she could even imagine. What was it that did that? How was she supposed to reach that level when it was hard enough just trying to hold her zanpakuto up at this point?

"You don't even look like you're tired,"

"I'm not," Renji admitted, his eyes never leaving her form.

"How? How are you able to do this without feeling tired? We've been at it for two hours and I'm beat but you…"

"Claudia," Renji snapped before raising Zabimaru above his head and thrusting his arm forward. Claudia froze as she watched the segmented blade separate like a whip and fly right at her. Was that his zanpakuto's special talent?

She didn't have time to move so she just threw her zanpakuto up defensively, barely escaping the attack. She flew off the mat and slammed into the grass twenty meters from the edge of it and cried out in pain. What the hell was that?

Renji whipped Zabimaru back to himself and growled. "Not good enough, Claudia! Get up!"

"I can barely move-"

"Find the strength!" He commanded as he leapt towards her and threw Zabimaru at her again. She rolled, screaming and tried to get away from him, but Zabimaru just turned sharply at the last second and kept coming after her.

Kento and Sage broke apart from their spar to watch the fight, both of them stunned by the turn of events. Other than bankai, they hadn't actually seen this form of Zabimaru before, and it was wicked to them.

"He's going to kill her!" Kento gasped as Claudia managed to roll out of the way for a second time, but lost her footing and hit the ground.

"No, he's not," Kayura reassured as she and Rowen jogged up to them. "He knows how to train her, just stay out of the way. Although, I think he'll be the one running when Mia sees what he's done to her yard…"

"Renji-" Claudia gasped as he pulled Zabimaru back and stalked towards her, looking angry.

"Fight back!" He shouted as she crawled backwards and scrambled to her feet, struggling to lift her zanpakuto to defend herself. "I SAID FIGHT ME BACK!"

He whipped Zabimaru at her again and she gasped, afraid as it soared towards her, the very tip of it ready to cut her in half. She stared up at the segmented, deadly blade and wanted to scream. But Sarubimaru was trembling in her hands and she caught a glimpse of the fiery horse just on the edge of the tree line, bowing her head wildly, her flaming mane flickering nastily.

Two seconds and the blade of Zabimaru would be on her and it wouldn't matter anymore. But then what? What would have been the point of any of it? All of this training just to die because she wasn't strong enough, because she couldn't control her so called phenomenal spiritual pressure? Because she couldn't even use her zanpakuto's basic skill. And then there was the look on Renji's face. The disappointment. He'd put so much faith in her over the last several days, and they'd gotten so close so fast. To see that faith fading from those beautiful red eyes of his hurt. She couldn't take it.

"Fight me back, Claudia! Damn it!"

He wouldn't lose faith in her. She wouldn't allow it. Zabimaru was so close she could feel the heat pouring off the blade from Renji's spiritual pressure. She closed her eyes.

"Gallop, Sarubimaru," She whispered. Before Zabimaru could meet her shoulder, Sarubimaru changed in her hands. The second blade shifted, slamming into its twin before sliding all the way to its tip, turning, and shooting outward, a translucent chain of spiritual energy forming to connect the two blades. By the look of it, there wasn't much of a limit on how far the second blade could stray from its twin so long as they were connected by her spiritual energy. Sarubimaru shot upwards, knocking Zabimaru back and wrapping the spiritual energy chain around it, strangling the segments until they fused back together.

Renji gasped, yanking it back as Claudia leapt at him, howling a battle cry not unlike Ichigo's. Renji was on the defense now, but was failing miserably. That chain of spiritual pressure holding those two blades was crushing his own and now he was sweating. Claudia was on him in a second, Zabimaru completely useless as her spiritual pressure canceled his out. It lost its form, clattered to the ground beside him. Sarubimaru's blades slammed back together and separated to its shikai form and was at his throat in an instant.

Claudia stared at him, her breath labored as she struggled to hold the blade steady. There was no disappointment in his eyes now, just pride and exultation. He was overjoyed. Seeing that she dropped Sarubimaru and collapsed against him, her shoulders shuddering as she cried into his chest.

"It's all right," He soothed, wrapping his arms around her to hold her. "Claudia, it's all right,"

"Don't ever do that again," She demanded, trying to regain the proper breathing rhythm and failing. "Don't you understand? I can't m-move. I c-can't breathe. I h-hurt all o-over,"

"I know," He whispered, smiling as he pulled her close, letting her rest against his chest and regain her composure. "But you did it. And you even had control over your spiritual pressure for a few minutes. You found it, Claudia. Your resolve. Whatever triggered it-"

"I couldn't stand seeing it," She whispered, her head resting on his chest, listening to his heart beat as it slowed.

"Seeing what?"

"The disappointment in your eyes because I was failing,"

Renji frowned, his arms tightening around her while she finally seemed to catch her breath. He didn't realize it, but her breathing regulated because his heart was beating in time with hers now. The beat of his heart was what she focused on to slow her breathing and calm her down.

"No disappointment," He reassured, stroking her back. "None at all. Just pride,"

She laughed a little, her shoulders shuddering as the laugh became strangled. She was hurting all over. It wasn't an ache. She was _hurt_.

"I c-can't move. It h-hurts,"

"You need the hot springs," He offered as he sat forward, trying to draw her up, but she whimpered in pain. Her body, even in this form, had been pushed further than it ever had and she was feeling the effects of it. "It's all right, Claudia. I'm going to take care of you,"

"Okay," She whispered as he swept her up into his arms, put her back in her body, retook his own gigai and leapt for the trail to the hot springs without saying a word to anyone in the group that still stood, mouths agape, in shock near the mat.

"That was-"

"What the hell-"

"Holy shit, dude!" Kento interrupted Sage and Rowen, absolutely shocked. "How the hell did she do that!"

"She found her resolve," Toshiro offered as he stepped outside, his eyes narrowed dangerously. He was staring at something beyond the group, just at the edge of the tree line. "Rangiku, you have a message for me,"

The others whirled around to see the new guest appearing from the trees. Rowen reached over and pushed Kento's jaw back up. Of course the first thing he saw were the boom booms attached to the orange-headed woman's chest.

"Hitsugaya-taichou," She bowed respectfully, Kento whimpered quietly, then held out the scroll to Toshiro. "Head Captain Yamamoto has determined that the current activity of the youjakai is in direct relation to the work of an arrancar creation by former Captain Sosuke Aizen. Captains Ukitake, Kuchiki, Zaraki and Kyoraku have been assigned to guard designated gates throughout Toyama and Tokyo. The closest captain to this post is Kenpachi Zaraki, stationed at the gate in the center of Toyama city." Rangiku bowed again and then frowned. "Hitsugaya-taichou, be aware that while I witnessed the fight between that woman and Abarai-fukutaichou, Captain Zaraki also witnessed it. And you know how he is,"

"Thank you, Rangiku," Toshiro nodded, pausing briefly as he caught a glint of worry in her eyes. "When you return to the Seireitei, reassure Momo that we're fine and will return within a few weeks, no worse for the ware. While this is training for the ryouka, it is also valuable training for ourselves. I do believe that Renji will be able to perfect the use of his bankai before long,"

Rangiku beamed in admiration. "That's good news. We'll need that skill,"

"Rangiku," Toshiro said as she turned to leave. "By directly relating this to Aizen, Yamamoto-taichou means Hueco Mundo?"

She nodded, frowning. "I'm afraid so,"

"What are your orders after delivering this message?"

"I'm going to be paying a visit to Kurosaki-sama in Karakura Town,"

Toshiro nodded, deep in thought. "Then get going. The sooner we get these gates covered, the better," He turned towards the Ronins. "And it's time we stepped up the training. Your fighting techniques could all be improved a little more. You must learn to fight efficiently without the use of your armors, should something inhibit that on the battlefield. We cannot be afford to be crippled for any reason. You shouldn't rely so heavily on your armors as much as your own strength. They may be mystical, but they still require a certain amount of physical control from the bearer. I will do what I can to aid you in this,"

"Any help you could give us would be appreciated, Hitsugaya-taichou," Rowen said respectfully as he bowed to him. Toshiro nodded, glad that someone in the group had manners. Rowen was the strongest of the group, and apparently the most intelligent, despite Sage's virtue of wisdom. Perhaps it was because the man was a scientist, or because he'd been brought up very well, but there was something of a bit of class in the blue haired warrior that Toshiro somewhat admired. He didn't sacrifice education and knowledge for fighting skill. He'd found time, room, and patience to learn both.

Cye and Ryo had both returned now to see Rowen's action, and though Toshiro had no idea what had been said between the two, it obviously hadn't done any good. Cye seemed calm, but was still giving him the stink eye. This would not turn out well if the boy didn't adjust his attitude. They needed to be united to face the Dynasty, especially since it was now being classified as something of Aizen's doing. Which didn't bode well for any party. They had a nasty fight on their hands, and it wouldn't be long before they'd run out of time to properly train.

It had been a week. They had three left and a lot to learn. Hopefully, though, if Renji kept pushing Claudia the way he had this morning, she might come around a lot quicker. He hoped so, and not just because of the impending battle, but because Zaraki was near, and despite not being able to sense spiritual pressure that well, he knew she was incredibly strong. He'd had his fight with Kima and won, now he wanted Claudia. Renji knew it, too. That's another reason he was pushing her so hard.

Toshiro felt ice flood through his veins as he thought that through. If Zaraki hurt Claudia, Renji would snap…

They couldn't afford to lose either one of them, but to lose both of them? Toshiro sighed faintly. He'd be forced to step in at that point to try and save Renji. After that, it would just be a nasty fight that wouldn't end well at all.

"What's your weapon?" Toshiro suddenly asked, looking back at Rowen. "The weapon of your armor? What is it?"

"Bow," Rowen admitted, slightly startled by the question. Toshiro frowned a little. He didn't know anything about archery, so there was nothing he could really do for Rowen but maybe, just maybe…

"Rangiku, are you still here?" Toshiro tilted his head towards the woods and smiled as she stepped back out into the light. "I thought you might hang around for a bit. When you speak with Kurosaki-kun, have him send the Quincy here,"

"Are you sure?"

"We need all the help we can get and I haven't seen anyone more efficient with a bow than the Quincy, Uryu Ishida."

"Of course," Rangiku nodded. "I will be on my way then," She turned and this time, she really left.

"What is a Quincy?" Rowen asked, watching Rangiku as she disappeared into the trees.

"Sworn enemy of the Soul Reapers," Toshiro said dismissively. "Uryu is the last of his kind, and, in recent months, has become a friend to the Soul Reapers. Training with him would benefit you greatly. In the meantime, until he arrives, physical training will be most beneficial to all of you. You are the only warrior with a bow, correct?"

"Yes," Rowen nodded once.

"Then Renji and myself should suffice to help train you all."

"Why should you be the one to train us?"

Toshiro tilted his head in Cye's direction. "Because Renji and I are your only option. No one else in the Soul Society gives enough of a damn to try. As far as they're concerned, sure, you can help, but you're expendable. Renji and I believe otherwise. Because of Anubis,"

"You've talked to him?" Kayura gasped, surprised. "He's-"

"Taking up residence in the Seireitei, yes," Toshiro confirmed, looking over at her, his smile soft. "His soul was guided to the Soul Society by a Soul Reaper in plenty of time to save him from becoming trapped or a hollow. He's causing quite a stir because he keeps walking right into the Seireitei, straight through the gates without any effort at all, but I suppose that's a gift of the Doji family."

"Well then," Kento cracked his knuckles and pulled his orange tank top off, his rock hard muscles flexing as he tossed it aside. "I say we step up the training then,"

"I'll tackle him," Renji offered as he appeared through the house, his own shirt missing.

"Where's Claudia?" Kayura inquired.

"Passed out upstairs. I didn't want to disturb Kima so I dumped her in your bed, if that's all right?"

"It's fine," Kayura smiled lightly. "It's a king sized bed that I don't need. You'll join her later, then? I'll take the cot. I've slept on the ground for years so a bed doesn't really feel comfortable to me," Kayura stretched a little as Renji stepped into the circle with Kento.

"You'd better not take it easy on me, Renji," Kento said seriously. "I don't have time to play around,"

"Fair enough,"

...

Claudia gasped and opened her eyes to the darkness of the room, then pushed herself up with her elbows. She looked around and relaxed. Renji was sleeping beside her on his stomach, snoring loudly and drooling slightly onto his pillow. But he wasn't what had woke her up.

She glanced around the room again, listening carefully. There it was again!

"Dammit," Claudia murmured as she sat up and threw the blankets away from herself, hopping off the bed and heading into the room she had been sharing with Kima. The sound, the noise that had woke her up and was the reason behind the sour look on Toshiro's face was her cell phone, still tucked away in her bag next to the bed. Kima didn't seem disturbed, she didn't even twitch in reaction to it.

"Sorry," Claudia whispered as she fished it out of her bag and stepped out into the hallway, groaning as she saw the name flashing across the I.D. screen.

"Who is it?"

She looked up and met Rowen's curious gaze, then sighed heavily. "It's my mum,"

"You should answer it,"

"But what do I tell her?"

"That you're all right," Rowen said, shrugging, his expression soft, sympathetic. "That you're safe and out of harm's way. That you love her,"

Claudia stared at him, at a loss for what to say. She just nodded at him, connected the call and stepped back into the bedroom where she'd been sleeping with Renji.

"Mum?"

_"Claudia! Claudia, sweetheart, where are you?"_

"I'm in Toyama. Staying with some f-friends. Where are you?"

_"We're in Rome, darling! We've just seen the news! They say everyone in Japan is gone! How can you be in Toyama? Claudia, what's going on over there? Those gate things, the ones they're showing on the news, they're everywhere! One shot up from the center of the coliseum just last hour!"_

"Mum, it's fine. Just stay inside and stay calm. I'm fine. I told you, I'm with some friends and we're all fine,"

_"Are you sure?"_

"Yeah, I'm sure," Claudia fell onto the edge of the bed and stared out through the double doors that lead out onto the balcony. The Dynasty gate looming on the horizon never looked more sinister. But it was night again… around three in the morning. She'd slept all day? She didn't even remember what had happened. One minute she was at the hot springs with Renji and then the next…nothing.

_"But you're there looking for Dorian, sweetheart. You don't have to. He's here, in Rome! I saw him. Just now when that gate showed up. Oh, Claudia, you were right! He's trapped on the other side of that gate. He's still alive,"_

Claudia closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. How could she say this without her mother going bonkers? "Y-yeah. Yeah, that's him," Claudia whispered. "I saw him, too. He's still alive,"

_"I tried to get him to come with me, darling, but he won't. It's like he didn't even recognize me! Claudia, what's going on?"_

"I don't know, mum, just stay inside. Stay safe, okay? I've gotta go. It's late and I don't want to wake everyone up,"

_"But, sweetheart-"_

"Goodbye, mum," Claudia closed the phone and took a deep, shuddering breath before getting up and going outside onto the balcony for fresh air. The phone was still clutched in her shaking hand and she fought the urge to toss it into the woods. What good would that do her?

"What am I supposed to do?" Claudia closed her eyes and gripped the railing that circled the entire second story of the house. "What am I supposed to do?"

"For one, I'd suggest not freaking out,"

She gasped, startled by the voice and turned to stare over at Kento and Ryo. "What are you two doing up?"

"Slept through most of the day after our training, too," Kento muttered as Ryo lifted up a tray of cheese and crackers.

"Didn't want to wake Mia and ask her to cook, so we grabbed snacks. You've gotta be starving,"

Claudia relaxed and nodded, reaching out and grabbing a handful of the cheese cubes.

"That was your mom?" Kento asked as Claudia sat down on the floor with them, grateful when Whiteblaze ventured out and offered his body as her cushion. She stroked the soft white fur of the tiger for a moment before popping a couple of the cheese cubes into her mouth.

"Yeah. She's in Rome. Says the gates are there, too, just arrived,"

"Shit," Kento muttered, groaning as he stuffed a cheese cracker sandwich he'd just made into his mouth. As big as it was, it didn't seem quite big enough for that little sandwich.

"Not good," Ryo murmured, sighing heavily. "They're back with a vengeance this time. It's weird, though, crossing our world and the Soul Society. That's a whole other world we were oblivious to. Now we have to cope with learning about that one while dealing with the other one. How much more complicated could this get?"

Claudia and Kento both shrugged as they munched on the cheese and crackers.

"We've never had a timeline before," Rowen had been up when she'd gotten the call so seeing him rounding the corner to join them was no surprise. "Last time the Dynasty showed up we were just kids. There was no time line, the gates just opened and the fight was on. They're having a real struggle with it this time,"

"Crossing into two different realms at the same time takes a whole lot of work," Claudia offered. "At least, I would imagine it would, considering. The gates wouldn't even be open as far as they are now if it hadn't been for me,"

"No one blames you, Claudia. That wasn't your fault. You were tricked, that's all," Ryo reassured before passing the snack tray over to Rowen. "Besides, if it had been any one of us, we probably would have done the same thing,"

Claudia nodded and looked down at Whiteblaze while she stroked through his fur, trying to relax. She was tired, sore, but not nearly as bad off as she had been earlier.

"That thing you did, with your sword…" Kento began, giving her an approving look. "It was kick ass,"

Claudia smiled, laughing quietly. "It kicked my ass, so yeah, you're right,"

"Eh!" Kento grinned, reaching out and clapping her shoulder. "It's 'cause it was your first time! You first timers always have a rough go of it. It'll come easier next time, I bet! Probably won't bother you at all. Besides, even Toshiro said it was impressive. Renji looked happy as a clown once you did it, too. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't want to go up against you now." He reached up and covered his nose protectively. "I'm just starting to heal!"

Claudia grinned.

"You know, Kento, Sage could fix that right up if you'd just let him," Ryo chuckled while Kento just rolled his eyes.

"Why? So she can break it again just to prove a point? No thanks, man!"

Claudia laughed, reaching out and clapping his shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't. At least, not intentionally. Accidents do happen you know,"

"Not with you," Kento muttered, still covering his nose protectively. "Well, at least now we know you're OK. I mean, let's face it, you were a bit dodgy at first,"

"Hey, don't forget, I didn't know any of you either," Claudia pointed at him, waggling her finger towards his nose. "And I might have been a little nicer if flyboy hadn't been manhandling me over my camera,"

The threesome chuckled at that comment, grateful that Sage hadn't joined them to put in his two cents about that one.

"So what's with you and Renji now? You two an item?" Kento asked, grinning again. She just looked at him and he was glad he was still covering his nose.

"What's it to you?" Claudia asked, smirking at him.

"Just curious! I mean, you and Dais, well, you kind of seemed like, well,"

Claudia growled quietly. "Please. That was nothing more than a fling,"

"You two seemed close enough,"

"Yeah, well, closeness and love are two very different things,"

"Who said anything about love?" Kento asked and grinned. "Ahhh, I got it. You're in love with the redheaded, tattooed barbarian,"

"Oh shut up," Claudia demanded, snatching another handful of cheese cubes. "What would you know?"

Kento just kept on grinning. "Yup, uh-huh! I know your secret, girlie! You're in love with him!"

"Shut up, dumbass! You don't know what you're talking about,"

"And who the hell are you calling a barbarian?" The entire group froze and swiveled to look at Renji's bulky form in the balcony doorway to the bedroom he was sharing with Claudia for the duration of their stay. He had one hand on his hip, his other arm poised above his head, braced on the door sill while he grinned down at them.

"Nothing!" Kento wailed, turning away and trying not to laugh. Claudia just smirked at Kento before looking up at Renji.

"Well, what are we then, Mister Soul Reaper?" Claudia asked, smiling over at him.

Renji snorted as he stepped out onto the balcony and looked down at the group sitting in a circle around a half eaten tray of cheese and crackers.

"That's entirely up to you," Renji finally responded as he reached down and snagged a cheese cube from her hand and chucked it into his mouth, all the while grinning at her.

Claudia just rolled her eyes and ate the last of the cubes in her hand before he could steal anymore, then climbed back onto her feet.

"Well, I guess you and I need to figure that out, don't we?" Claudia smiled as she pressed her palm to his chest and gave him a little push backwards to the doors.

"Oh, I guess we do,"

"Oh, gross!" Kento whined as Claudia laughed and shoved Renji back into their room, shut the doors and pulled the curtains down. "I'd have told them to get a room if they hadn't beaten me to the punch,"

"Please, Kento, the only thing getting punched is your nose," Ryo chortled as he snagged the last of the cheese from the tray.

"So what is it then?" Renji asked as she gave him another playful shove towards the bed. "Lovers? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Partners?"

Claudia rolled her eyes as she shoved him onto the bed and climbed into his lap, her arms coming around his neck. "I don't know, Renji. I've honestly never felt this way about anyone before. What I had with Dais, whatever that was, it's nothing like this. This is new territory to me, and I don't know what to think about it. I don't have a name for it. I just know it's…well, it's foreign to me. But it's very strong…"

"Yeah," Renji agreed, his hands settling at her hips and squeezing gently. "There's something about you, Claudia. It's sucking me in. I don't know what it is, but you're right, it's strong, whatever it is."

"Then why don't we enjoy the mystery a little longer? Let's not give it a name right now." She urged, frowning. "I don't know why, Renji, but every time I give a feeling like this a name, it's like bringing an end to it. Like knowing what it is is always the beginning of the end for whatever it is. Whatever we have…whatever this is, I don't want it to go away. Not now, not ever,"

"Then we won't name it," Renji whispered, reaching up and cupping her face in his hands. "A little mystery is always more fun anyway,"

Claudia smiled at him and he tilted his head up and kissed her, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her further up into his lap.

Lovers, partners, boyfriend and girlfriend, love, lust, it didn't matter. None of it did, because they matched together too perfectly. The similarity in their personality, their zanpakutos, their attraction to one another, the unquestionable trust…

Naming the emotion, the bond, didn't matter. It never would. They belonged together, were made for each other, and that was all there was to it. Nothing would change it, nothing would get in the way of it. Nothing.

_Nothing!_ Renji swore in his head as he claimed what was his for a second time. _Nothing will take this away._

...

"I've got it," Renji suddenly droned. "It's coffee. Coffee is the greatest invention in the world!"

"Amen to that," Kento groaned as he sipped his second mug of the morning. "Man, why am I so tired?"

"Side effect of fighting against someone with as intense a spiritual pressure as myself and Toshiro?" Renji shrugged. "That combined with the fact that you've never worked so hard in your life until you've sparred with Toshiro. Even I hurt afterwards, and that's saying something!"

"You almost had your ass handed to you by a chick, dude. I don't think that had anything to do with Toshiro. Besides, she must have handed your ass to you a second time last night, 'cause no one makes those sounds when they're sleeping,"

Renji blushed a little but smirked anyway. "Didn't think anyone would hear us over your snoring,"

"I don't snore!"

"I hate to break it to you, Kento," Sage said as he clapped his friend's shoulder. "But, yes, you do,"

The others gathered at the bar in the kitchen laughed and followed Sage outside, ready to begin another day of strenuous training, despite their sore and tired limbs.

...

"You look better," Claudia pointed out as she stepped into Kima's room and grabbed a change of clothes from her bag.

Kima just smirked. "You look pleasantly laid,"

Claudia blushed in response to that blatant fact rolling off Kima's tongue, but she smiled anyway. "Well, you know. A girl can't complain about the gifts she's given,"

Kima laughed and it was a beautiful sound.

"Are you really feeling better?"

"Extremely, actually. A whole new woman," Kima said as she jumped up and grabbed her own workout clothes. "And I think I've sat out of the training long enough. I need to get stronger, too, you know. I doubt Dais will be able to resist getting his revenge on me for much longer,"

"Let me see that ugly little spider show his face here again and I'll tell him just what he can do with that revenge! Whoa-ahh!" Her entire body bowed down towards the ground, Kima's as well. "W-what is that! It's that…that pressure…!"

"Zaraki!" Kima growled as she forced herself back upright. "Shit, it's Zaraki!"

"Ugh, and my morning was starting out so well," Claudia closed her eyes, concentrated hard, and brought her body back under her own control. "Renji was afraid of this. He told me so himself,"

"What are you going to do? You can't fight him! He's too strong,"

"Yeah, but I've learned a lot while you were sleeping, Kima." Claudia reached out and touched the woman's shoulder. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine,"

"You're bonkers!"

"Yeah, well, it comes with the package, I guess," Claudia stepped out onto the balcony and looked down into the yard. Zaraki, his intimidating form radiating some seriously powerful spiritual pressure, was standing in the center of one of the training mats, and he was grinning right up at her. She just stared down at him, taking in the spiky hair, the tiny bells on each tip and the sheer bulk of muscle attached to that man. "Ugh, I'm going to be even more sore tonight than last night."

"Are you sure about this?" Kima grabbed her arm and looked very seriously at Claudia. "You don't have to fight him,"

Claudia shrugged. "Just another obstacle to find my way around. Kima, if I don't fight him today, I'll have to eventually. Might as well get it out of the way now. Besides, like I said, I've learned a lot while you were sleeping," Claudia looked back down at Zaraki and glared before turning and heading back through the house, Kima hot on her heels.

Everyone was tense as Kima and Claudia stepped out into the yard, Claudia going straight towards the mat.

"Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the 11th Court Guard Squad and said to be the most blood thirsty of them all," Claudia looked at Renji. Renji looked at her, shaking his head.

"Well, you've done your homework," Kenpachi chuckled, his arms folded over his chest. "And now I get to test your fighting technique, see just how strong you really are,"

"Zaraki-taichou," Renji muttered. "This isn't the time nor the place to-"

"Quiet, Abarai-fukutaichou. I didn't ask for your opinion. Now, let's fight,"

"Claudia-"

"Renji, don't," Claudia muttered as she pulled her hair back into a tight bun. "If it's not now, it'll be later, and quite frankly, I have better plans for later than fighting this guy," She winked at Renji before lowering her arms and turning to face him completely. "Do it, Renji,"

Renji frowned, clearly reluctant, but the confident and brilliant smile she gave him was somewhat of a comfort. She could do this if he'd let her.

"All right," He murmured as he pulled on the disembodiment glove and threw his hand towards her face, catching her body as it fell, useless, towards the ground.

"Oh, what an obnoxious looking zanpakuto," Kenpachi chuckled, folding his arms over his chest as Claudia stepped onto the mat and stretched a little.

"You think that's obnoxious? Wait until you see what I do with it,"

Kenpachi smirked, primed for the fight now. "You'd better be a challenge, girl. I don't like having my time wasted, and there's been so much hype about you possibly being able to achieve the rank of a captain within the Soul Society." Kenpachi shook his head as he drew his own ragged old zanpakuto and held it straight out in front of him. "Shall we begin? I'll even let you get in the first blow,"

Claudia snorted. "Is that supposed to intimidate me? I don't have time for games, Zaraki-taichou. I have training I need to get back to, so if you'd like to get on with it…"

"Fine by me," Kenpachi laughed as he lifted his zanpakuto straight into the sky. "Let it begin!"

Claudia closed her eyes, which, to the bystanders watching the fight, was a bad idea completely because Kenpachi was suddenly behind her in a split second. None of them had even seen him move!

They gasped, but then nothing happened except Kenpachi's amused laugh.

"So, you're fast," He grinned, turning to look over his shoulder at her. She was still facing the direction where he had been, but now her zanpakuto was held behind her back, effortlessly blocking the path of his own zanpakuto. Her hand twitched, catching it between the two blades of her zanpakuto, then twisted it so that it was caught. Her hand shot up and she spun around, grabbing the hilt of Sarubimaru with both hands and thrusting forward. Kenpachi didn't move, but he couldn't free his zanpakuto, either.

"Interesting little trick," He admitted, still smirking as he thrust his weight forward and threw her off of him. Claudia landed lightly, Sarubimaru held steady in front of her at eye level, the tips of its blades pointing towards the forest to her left. There was no emotion on her face, the expression was completely neutral. He frowned. She had physical strength, but where was all that spiritual pressure everyone had been raving about? He felt only minimal amounts, if any, and that wasn't very impressive compared to himself or any of the other captains, so what was the big deal?

Unless…

Kenpachi laughed in absolute jubilation, lowering his zanpakuto from in front of him to get a better look at her stance.

"So, you've learned how to completely mask your spiritual pressure. In so little time, I'm impressed, I'll give you that," He glanced over his shoulder at Renji and smirked. "Is this your doing, Abarai?"

Renji just glared at him.

"You can mask it, but can you control it?" Kenpachi questioned as he leapt into the air, raising his zanpakuto to attack again. Claudia met the attack, once again blocking with Sarubimaru, but Kenpachi wasn't interested in fooling around. He didn't wait this time, he just went all out. She gasped in surprise, trying to keep up with him, to predict his attacks while trying to coordinate her own. He was strong! She couldn't get in anything and had to spend most of her time fighting him off, which, after a few minutes, started to get tiresome.

"Toshiro-"

"No, Renji," Toshiro reached up and touched Renji's shoulder. "You have to let them fight. Give her a chance. Kenpachi is right, the technique you taught her in order to mask her spiritual pressure is working, but she still can't control it. What happened with you yesterday will happen with him today. Give Claudia a chance,"

Renji nodded, but he was clearly not happy with the situation. If Kenpachi had only waited a few more days, maybe a week, the odds wouldn't be against Claudia, but he hadn't waited and Renji hadn't gotten far enough into her training to prepare her for this. Not enough time. Never enough time.

"Oh, Kenny looks so happy!"

Kento blinked, gasping as a foreign weight was suddenly pushing him towards the ground.

"You've got a nice big head so I'll just sit right here and watch! Go, Kenny!"

Kento glared up at the pink haired child in disbelief, recognizing the kimono and the lieutenants badge on her left arm. "You've got to be fucking kidding me,"

"Yachiru-fukutaichou," Toshiro said respectfully. "Coming to watch?"

"Of course! Kenny was so excited to fight this morning. Look how happy he is!"

Toshiro nodded once and turned back to the fight, frowning. Yachiru Kusajishi was the lieutenant of the 11th court guard squad, and had entered the Seireitei with Kenpachi. It was Kenpachi that had given her that name, as she'd been a tiny child when he'd found her. She wasn't afraid of him, absolutely revered him, and wherever Kenpachi was, Yachiru was never far behind. And she wasn't a lieutenant simply because she was Kenpachi's companion. Toshiro glanced at the zanpakuto hanging from the obi of her waist. No, there were other reasons why she was the lieutenant of the 11th squad.

"She's a lieutenant?" Sage asked, leaning in to Ryo. "You've got to be kidding me! She's just a kid,"

"Be quiet, please! Kenny is fighting," Yachiru chided, smiling brightly as she turned back to the struggle taking place on the mat. Now Claudia's neutral expression had faltered. The look on her face now wasn't a pleasant one. She wasn't happy.

"Where is all that power?" Kenpachi demanded as he leapt back, pivoted on his heel and shot towards her again, his tattered and torn captain's robe billowing out behind him. The speed of his attacks were overwhelming now, and Claudia couldn't keep up. She stumbled, slammed into the ground, seconds away from being run through with his zanpakuto.

"Claudia!"

Her eyes jerked towards the anguished cry. It was Renji and he looked horrified. Absolutely scared to death. Kenpachi's zanpakuto was suddenly there, just centimeters from her chest when she found it again; her resolve. In a blast of spiritual pressure that Kenpachi had been hoping for, his zanpakuto went careening into the air to sheath itself in the ground behind him.

Claudia stood, her eyes crystal clear and shining.

"There's that power!" Kenpachi bellowed, exulted. "Now we're in business."

Kenpachi jumped back and reached up towards his eye patch. "Are you ready to fight me now?"

Claudia just looked up at him through her lashes and lifted Sarubimaru from the ground just as he ripped off the eye patch and his own spiritual pressure was completely unleashed. The group of spectators behind them jumped back in surprise, though Renji was completely frozen in place. He didn't know what to do. Claudia would get killed if she kept this up! But then her spiritual pressure was on the same wave length as Kenpachi's. It was almost as if they were the same. As if they matched, as if they were…

"Equal," Renji breathed, his eyes wide in disbelief. "But that…that can't be!"

Kenpachi howled a battle cry and went straight for her just as she closed her eyes against his approach.

"Gallop, Sarubimaru," She whispered. The scene that played out then wouldn't easily be forgotten. Her zanpakuto transformed just in time to meet Kenpachi's attack, and the spiritual chain wrapped around his zanpakuto, while the blade slammed into his chest. There was a wicked bright explosion that lasted several minutes. But once the dust settled…

"Oh, wow!" Yachiru chirped, pointing. "They're both down!"

And she was right. The group stared at both Claudia and Kenpachi, not three feet apart from each other, both on their knees and staring at each other. Kenpachi had replaced the eye patch on his eye and was holding himself up by his zanpakuto. Claudia was the same way, though her limbs trembled with the effort to keep herself upright.

Renji took a step forward but Toshiro grabbed his arm, shaking his head. "No, Renji. Not yet,"

"But-"

"Not yet,"

Renji turned back to the scene, worried. Claudia looked exhausted but…so did Kenpachi. What the hell had just happened?

Claudia stared at him in amazement, wondering if he were thinking the same thing she was. And then Kenpachi laughed heartily, falling back onto the mat and staring up at the sky. She was slightly perplexed, but the laugh wasn't threatening or negative in any way. He was amused, happy…

She let go of her zanpakuto and fell back as well, raising her hands to her face and smiling a little. This time, when she'd found her resolve, she'd felt it completely. She knew how it worked now. And despite the fact that both times she'd found it, it had been triggered by Renji, she knew how to find it now without him.

"I don't believe it!" Yachiru shouted, standing up on Kento's head and frowning. "Kenny, she's as strong as you!"

Kenpachi was still laughing on the mat. He couldn't believe it! She'd beat him in less time than Ichigo and with little to no effort. The best part was, there wasn't a scratch on either one of them. And even his muscles ached after the exertion, which was strange to him. He wasn't used to being tired after any fight.

Claudia huffed and puffed for a moment, pushing herself upright again and bending forward, still trying to catch her breath. Renji couldn't wait any more and he went straight for her, kneeling beside her and checking to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Are you happy now?" Claudia managed to ask while Renji worriedly poked and prodded her. "Now he's all fussy!"

Kenpachi lurched forward, his laughter trickling down to gratified chuckles as he stared over at her. "I'm impressed. No one has ever put up quite that big a fight against me. Not in quite some time,"

"Is it out of your system now?"

"No. I'm sure we'll fight again one day. Not in the near future. A hundred years or so down the line, perhaps,"

Claudia stared at him for a moment before snorting and shoving Renji's hands away. "I'm fine! Just tired. And what the hell do you mean in a hundred years?"

Kenpachi shook his head, the tiny bells on at the tips of his spikes jingling a little with the movement. "You're a Soul Reaper, so you get their lifespan. We're higher entities and we're not limited by the life of a human. We'll always be around. For centuries, we'll be around,"

"So I've got centuries of dealing with you to look forward to?"

Kenpachi smirked and Claudia groaned, falling back onto the mat and covering her face with her hands. She didn't want that. It was one of the last things on this Earth that she wanted. Then again, there was a lot that he could teach her…

"I will be back in a few days to further your training. There is only so far Abarai-fukutaichou can take you, seeing as how he has not yet reached the level of a Captain,"

Renji scowled as Kenpachi got to his feet, collected his zanpakuto and sheathed it. "Yachiru!"

"Coming! Thank you for letting me use your head, mister!" Yachiru grinned down at Kento and leapt off, landing lightly on Kenpachi's back. "Let's get back to our post, Kenny!"

"Was that guy serious?" Ryo questioned as he and Sage watched him and the little girl disappear into the woods.

Kento rubbed the top of his head, scowling and moved towards Renji and Claudia. "She OK?"

Renji nodded, cradling Claudia's head in his lap while she tried to catch her breath. She was winded, but unharmed.

"I've got centuries to deal with him already and now he wants to train me?"

"He's right," Renji muttered. "There is more he can teach you that I can't,"

"Yeah, well, I'll tell him exactly where he can shove that 'teaching'." Claudia snarled as she sat up again, sighing as she stretched her tight muscles and dropped her head.

"You need to stretch," Renji grumbled, situating himself onto his knees and pressing his hands to the small of her back. "Put your hands straight out in front of you and relax,"

Claudia muttered something under breath but did as commanded, spreading her legs a little bit to even out her body weight as Renji gently pushed her back forward and down. She bent her head between both her arms so that her nose touched the mat lightly before her fingers did.

"Hold it there," Renji murmured, applying a little pressure to the muscles in her back as he ran his hands back down. "Better?"

"Yeah," She grumbled, closing her eyes. "Do me a favor…?"

"Anything,"

"I need a really stiff drink. And I don't mean a soda with crown, I mean a freaking bottle of brandy,"

Renji smiled and pressed her down onto the mat, his hands sliding down to apply pressure at the small of her back. "We'll save the boos for dinner, how about that?"

"As long as I get a glass, that's fine," Claudia snapped, sighing in relief as her muscles relaxed, once again becoming jelly beneath his fingertips. "You have the hands of a miracle worker,"

"I know," Renji grinned. "You've told me that several times in the last couple of days,"

Kima rolled her eyes as she stepped onto the mat and looked down at the both of them. "Okay, you've had your fun, now get off the mat and let everyone else have a turn!" She reached out with her foot and shoved Renji's shoulder with it, grinning as he grabbed Claudia and pulled her to her feet. "Why don't you two take a jog and work off some of that anxiety? I thought Renji was going to have a conniption watching that fight." Kima turned when Renji and Claudia made their way to the jogging trail in the woods and faced Toshiro, grinning. "Time to train, iceman!"

...

End Chapter


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

It had surprised the others at how quickly she was ready to be up and training again. Because sure enough, Kima was standing on the mats, grinning like the Cheshire cat. Toshiro wasn't sure if he should be frightened or glad. It must've shown on his face as well, because Kima was now laughing at him as she made room for him to join her.

"I didn't know sparring was such a well thought out affair."

Toshiro took his expected place before setting himself in a hand to hand form. He watched as Kima readied herself too before he relaxed and dropped the form. "I'm going to have to reteach you everything, aren't I?"

"What? When I got my armor, I didn't have any fancy martial arts training like the other guys. I just went in swinging!" The blonde protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And there was nothing wrong with that…when you were a child." Toshiro chastised. "It's time that you learned the proper way to do it and we'll start off with that stance of yours. Do that again." He waited for her drop to her stance again, watching him warily as he walked around her as if he were doing an inspection. "Good form, but not flawless. You leave yourself too open."

As if he were making a point, he drove his fist toward her stomach, knocking the air out of her and sending her across the mats. The blonde groaned as she rose back to her feet. Shaking her head a bit, she made her way back over to him. Trying to get her wind back, Kima shot Toshiro an aggravated look.

"If this weren't for educational purposes, I'd slug you." She grumbled under her breath.

Toshiro chuckled. "I'm hoping that you do or at least try to. All that spiritual pressure is wasting while you sleep. Now, take that stance again. Like I said before, you're leaving too many openings." Within a few seconds, he adjusted her arms, legs, and shoulders to the positions they should be in. "There. You're in correct form. Now, let's see what you've got."

The captain made his way back to her front before taking up his preferred stance once again. It was several moments before either made a move, almost as if they were assessing the other. It was finally Kima who struck first. Her knuckles passed within a few centimeters of Toshiro's nose, but he'd managed to dodge. The blonde brought her leg up to introduce his shoulder to a heel drop, but the white-haired man was just a split second faster. He'd grabbed her foot and pushed her away only to have her leap quickly back to her feet.

Kima was able to barely block his oncoming blows, his knuckles grazing her jawbone once. That's when she felt something surging through her veins along with her blood. The spiritual power that Toshiro was talking about was flowing through her. How did so much power just appear at once? The blonde didn't know, but it was time to try to put it to use.

In the few seconds between each attack that she had, Kima tried to focus, imagining that energy surging into her fists and her legs and feet. It was amazing how quickly her fighting improved. Before she'd realized what was happening, Toshiro was easily matched in fighting skill. He and the blonde exchanged equal blows, blocks, and counters. It was in one sly movement that Kima ducked a swiping punch and ended the match in a less sophisticated manner. She placed all of her strength into tackling the captain and ended up straddling his waist, pinning him to the ground.

"I win." She grinned, panting to regain her breath.

Kento was whooping wildly from the sidelines. "Way to go, girl! You kicked his ass!"

Toshiro smirked as he stared up at her. "Go for a jog. I've got some things to work on with them and then I'll meet you at the hot springs."

"Oh GOD, no!" Kento cried. "Anywhere but there! We all know what goes on up there with Claudia and Renji. That water is probably tainted!"

Kima quirked an eyebrow at Kento, but said nothing as they were joined by another presence. The strawberry blonde from her dream stood before them, bowing to her captain, who was still pinned under the blonde. A hateful gleam entered her eyes as she glanced at Kima before addressing Toshiro.

"Hitsugaya-taichou! You've been playing games while you've been here! Just wait until Hinamori-kun hears about this!"

Toshiro sat up a bit, causing Kima to slide into his lap. "Matsumoto, why are you back? I thought you were sent to deliver a message to Kurosaki-kun."

"I was." His second seat replied. "I came as quickly as I could to bring you the reply to find you fooling around with a human!"

Kima scrambled off of his lap to save at least a bit of her dignity. "We were sparring. That's all."

"Is that what you call it these days, you little tart?" Matsumoto asked her, blowing her a raspberry. "I think you're trying to seduce _my_ taichou."

"What?" Kima growled and one could practically feel the chill rolling off of her.

"You heard what I said, or are you deaf? Taichou, I wish you'd come back. Hinamori-kun is a much better choice than this tart."

It wasn't until then that Kima realized what this woman, Matsumoto, was doing. She had a child's jealousy when it came to her captain. She was pulling out every phrase she could think of to make Kima angry or jealous. Taking a deep breath, Kima remained silent. Toshiro released the breath he'd been holding before he replied to his second seat.

"That's enough, Matsumoto-fukutaichou. Deliver the message you were sent with and return to headquarters. I'm sure there's work to be done."

The triumphant look on her face withered at the thought of the mounds and mounds of paperwork she'd left on his desk. "Ishida-san has agreed to help. Kurosaki-kun is delivering him by means of his shunpo as quickly as he can. Inoue-san has also requested to come so that she may help with any injuries sustained due to training."

"That will do. Arigatou, Matsumoto."

The woman saluted before she disappeared through the brightly lit sliding paper door that had appeared in front of her. Toshiro rose to his feet and dusted himself off. Kima had a sour look on her face as she turned to face him.

"Matsumoto-san doesn't seem to like me much." She commented. "By the way, who is Hinamori-kun?"

...

Darkness swirled around the three figures as they stood in a circle. Each had sinister and malicious thoughts of his own, but they were all stuck on the subject of the one person who could be a threat to them. Only one person who held the armors. Two of the figures began to laugh, turning their attention to the third. The man's face was hidden by shadow and twisted with sadistic humor as plans began to form in his mind.

"You have thought long on the annihilation of the bearer of the armor of Destruction, have you not brother?"

"I have; long and hard. I want her obliteration to be complete. I want to see her writhe in pain before I crush her completely."

"Then all you must do is attack, my brother of Illusion. Our master would know great happiness if you were to destroy one of his greatest enemies."

"It is not so simple as that. I will not only crush her, I will break her. I will lay siege to the one place my greatest enemy would find sanctuary. In the deepest reaches of the mind where sleep takes over, one thinks they are truly safe. It is not such."

"You mean to say that you are attacking the mind in sleep?"

"Of course. There, the mind is trying to reenergize and is often times unable to come out of sleep quickly."

"You're invading Destroyer's dreams."

"Precisely. I will turn her dreams to nightmares so that she may never wish to sleep again before I slay her. Her end will not be over quickly; she will not enjoy it; I will be her end."

"Mighty words you speak, Dais. Let us see you put action behind them. I would love to see the utter destruction of that pig-headed fool and her armor."

"See, then, tonight my brothers of Darkness and Poison. Her misery and pain will begin at midnight and her fall from power will be eminent."

...

The dinner table was filled with laughter as Kento finished another amusing tale from their younger days as Ronin Warriors. Even for those who didn't know the group back then, the stories were funny. Claudia had to be assisted several times, otherwise she'd have choked.

"Oh yeah, that was nothing. Little miss warrior of love and justice," Kento began, pointing to Kima, "Thought she was clever enough to outsmart the original prankster." He said, pointing to himself. "Let's just say that the whole ordeal ended with a bang."

"Oh no, Kento. You can't leave us hanging. Give us the details. Most of us were there. We just want to hear the details." Sage grinned as he shot Kima a glance, catching sight of her frown.

"Don't tell that story. It's not as funny as you think." The blonde warned.

"Oh, you just don't want to be embarrassed." Kento commented before going on. "Kima thought she was slick when she waited until it was my turn in the shower to steal my towel and clothes and _hide_ them conveniently out in the tree. Well, I waited until she and Cye were out by the lake before I decided to light the rest of the fireworks I had left over from New Year. Kima ended up in the lake and soaking wet. She didn't try to get cute with her practical jokes anymore."

The room erupted in laughter once again, Kima even falling into a fit of giggles. Toshiro glanced over at her with a look of admiration. She'd seemed a bit lighter since she'd been back on her feet. On their trip to the hot springs, Toshiro explained that he and Hinamori were childhood friends and that they'd grown up together. The captain knew that he didn't have to explain anything to her, but he wanted to. Their trip hadn't gone in quite the heated passion as the one Renji and Claudia took, but they'd talked; Kima in the water and Toshiro on the bank since he wasn't that fond of hot temperatures.

Kima pushed her plate back and rose from her seat, stretching her arms above her head. "Mia, dinner was great. I'm a little tired, so I think I'm going to head to bed."

"Goodnight, Kima." Came a chorus of voices.

"Goodnight, guys."

"I'll be up soon." Toshiro added quietly.

Kima nodded as she headed upstairs. Since she and Toshiro had started sharing a room, even if he did sleep in the chair, the others had started teasing. Toshiro was quite the gentleman. He left the bedroom door open and never complained about sleeping in the chair. He even made sure the balcony door was locked before he went to sleep.

The room was dark as she turned down the blankets and crawled into bed. The light of the full moon was shining in through the balcony door. Stars dotted the night sky as several black clouds started to roll across. It felt like a storm was coming. A sudden chill had filled the air and the wind had definitely picked up a bit. Her blonde hair fanned around her as she lay on her side, watching the wind mercilessly shake the leaves of the trees. She seemed to be staring off into space when she felt a slight chill enter the room.

"There's an ominous feel in the wind tonight."

Kima gripped her pillow a bit tighter as she felt the bed sink a bit with Toshiro's added weight. "I feel like I should be prepared for something."

"Maybe you should be. I can almost feel the spirits moving around tonight. They know something's going to happen." Toshiro said, his brow furrowing as he rested a hand on her side. "I think it may be your friend the traitor."

"Dais? He wouldn't attack so openly. He knows better than that."

Toshiro shook his head as he shifted his gaze to her. "You really should be careful. If he means to kill you, then there's nothing that will stop him from trying. As much as I don't like him, Dais is one not to be underestimated."

The blonde sighed as she sat up, snaking her arms around Toshiro. "I know. I'm pretty sure I know what to expect from him. I don't know. There are a few tricks he could've been hiding."

The white-haired captain tilted her chin up as he claimed her lips sweetly. "The tricks that you don't know about are often the most dangerous. I'll help you as best I can. For now, you need sleep."

Kima nodded as she lay her head back on her pillow. Toshiro's fingers in her hair seemed to be lulling her to sleep and soon, the room faded as she entered the world of sleep.

...

_The world looked like it hadn't won its war with the Youjakai. Buildings were crumbling, vehicles were rusting and falling apart. There were no people anywhere. She was alone as she moved along the cracked pavement. The wind was tossing her free hair as she carefully watched all of the possible hiding places in front of her. There was no sound as the dust from the streets was picked up and carried away. It was just how she'd imagined the apocalypse._

_ Kima didn't expect to see anything as she moved deeper into the heart of the city as it was hidden by shadows. The swift movement of black and white blurs moved quickly ahead of her as she sped up to a run to discover their destination. Several people dressed in the captains' garb that she'd seen Toshiro in were standing around one of the Dynasty gates that had been opened. One was an old man that looked much like the Commander General that she'd seen before. There were two others; one with white hair and the other sporting a bright pink kimono. _

_ "Ukitake-taichou. Shunsui-taichou. The balance has been upset. Aizen Sosuke has done what he set out to do."_

_ "Sotaichou, what should we do? The Rukongai has been overwhelmed with incoming spirits. I don't think there are many humans left."_

_ "I'm uncertain. Those Ronin warriors are being killed one by one. Which have already come to Soul Society?"_

_ Shunsui tipped his hat a bit further over his eyes. "The leader; Rekka. Korin and Suiko. That leaves two; Tenku and Kongo. Destroyer is still going up against the warlords. Hitsugaya-taichou and Matsumoto-fukutaichou are there assisting. I also believe that Kurosaki-kun and the other ryouka are assisting with the warlords."_

_ "It would seem that the warlords are stronger than they were given credit for." Yamamoto commented. "The arrancar is biding his time or is awaiting orders from his master."_

_ Kima continued past them to a site that looked like a battle zone. There were people standing there that she'd never seen before. She assumed that they were the ryouka that the head captain was talking about. The warlords were scattered about as the remaining Ronin Warriors were fighting. The others had been killed. The blonde fought the burning in her eyes as she got closer. Two figures met as their weapons clashed. The figure in the black and silver armor, who she recognized as herself, screamed as the figure she was fighting drove the blade of his weapon into her left eye. Vermillion came gushing from the eye as she crashed into the ground. The figure in the purple armor, Dais, landed as well, raising his mourning star._

_ "You knew this day would finally come, Destroyer. Today is the day I put an end to this ridiculous feud once and for all." He said, raising his weapon above his head._

_ "Go ahead." She heard herself say. "As you took my eye, you just angered the Ronins. The others will return, Dais. You have my word."_

_ His laugh filled her ears once again, sounding much like it had seven years ago when he gave her that scar. "Do what you want. You're dead!"_

_ Bringing the mourning star down in one swift movement, Dais pierced her with the six different blades. Kima's eyes widened as the wounds began to bleed profusely. As she coughed, the crimson liquid stained her teeth and snaked from both corners of her mouth. Fighting for breath, a laugh managed to escape her. Dais's smirk turned to a frown as he looked down on this piece of garbage._

_ "Laugh all you want. You're time is running out, Destroyer. Little Desu-chan."_

_ "As your blades made contact, I returned the last of the Ronins' power. You'll have to deal with their armors and their sure-kills now. Farewell, Dais, you treacherous bastard."_

_ The warlord of Illusion leapt away to join his brothers in arms. Being the oldest of them, he would grant his enemy the wish of an uninterrupted death. Toshiro was next to her in a matter of moments, scooping her injured and dying body into his arms. His icy eyes glowed with something she'd never seen before as her vision was beginning to blur; tears. He frantically pulled the helmet from her head and crushed her to him as he ignored the blood that was staining his uniform. Kima could feel his whole body shaking as he held her. He must be sobbing._

_ "You're showing the enemy your weakness, Shiro-chan." She told him in a raspy voice, a small sad smile on her face._

_ "What does that matter now? They've taken away my weakness. You're dying." He said with burning eyes._

_ Another small laugh and the further expelling of blood. "Remember your promise to me. You perform the konso if my soul decides to linger."_

_ "I promise. I promise you."_

_ Kima looked on as she watched herself die and Toshiro fall apart. In his rage and pain, he lay her body gently down on the ruined pavement and charged at the warlords without reason. Her eyes widened as she called out to him to stop. Sekhmet cut him with his poison blades, Dais pierced him with his mourning star, and finally, as he fell to his knees, Cale beheaded him with one swift motion of his No-datchi. Kima screamed as she knotted her fingers in her hair. Dais picked up his zanpakuto and crushed the blade into a thousand pieces with his fist. Then, looking straight into her maddened eyes, he smiled as he tossed the hilt of the weapon in her direction._

_ "You knew this would happen. You should've never expected to win, Kima. My master will destroy you all. You will lose everything that is precious to you."_

_ As her knees gave way, the image of Toshiro's headless body began to ripple before her. It was replaced by a familiar scene of the past. Dais had knocked her to the ground. Her younger self lost consciousness as she was given the scar that she now bore. Dais then turned to her, laughing once again. His laughter filled her head, causing her to cover her ears and squeeze her eyes closed as the tears escaped them, screaming the whole time. No matter how hard she tried to shut out the images that flashed through her mind, the sight of her friends dead before her was burned into her brain and the back of her eye lids._

_ "You brought this upon yourself, Kima the Destroyer. You will pay for everything and this battle will finally be finished."_

...

A blood-curdling scream woke Toshiro from his light sleep immediately. His eyes landed on the bed first to find Kima thrashing about under the blanket and continuing to scream. The white-haired man was on his feet and by her side in a matter of seconds. He spoke to her several times to try to return her to the real world, but nothing seemed to bring her back from her nightmare. Toshiro finally began to shake her frantically, worry twisting his features. Mia and Claudia quickly entered, Claudia taking the other side of the bed. She shot him a worried glance.

"What's happening? What's wrong?" Mia asked in a panic.

"She's dreaming, I think." Toshiro replied, relieved when her blue eyes finally pulled open.

Kima looked at him with growing recognition as her face crumpled, hiding it in his chest. He pulled her close, embracing her tightly. Claudia's expression softened as she laid a hand on her back, rubbing it gently. The blonde sobbed into Toshiro's chest as he exchanged confused glances with both of the brunettes.

"I know you're probably not going to want to, hon, but try to tell us about your dream." Claudia said gently.

"It was terrible!" came Kima's muffled voice. "I saw the head captain and two of the other captains; Ukitake and Shunsui. The world was destroyed. The Dynasty gates were open. Most of the guys had been killed by the warlords. Then…Dais. I died. He killed me."

"Go on." Toshiro urged softly.

Kima pulled far enough away to look at him. "You tried to attack them all. The warlords attacked you and…and…Cale killed you. I was watching it all. Dais looked right at me. He told me that his master would destroy us and I would lose everything that was precious to me. Then I saw him the day he gave me my scar. I kept seeing my friends dead. All I heard was his laughter. It was everywhere. Dais said that I brought this on myself and our battle would finally be done."

Claudia's face became angry as Mia looked thoughtful. Toshiro looked angry as well. It was Mia who finally spoke. "He's begun it then. Dais has thrown you the gauntlet by entering your dreams and twisting them, Kima. He's letting you know that you don't have much time until your final battle with him. Our time is running out faster than we thought."

Toshiro's head turned quickly toward the balcony. A slight smile placed itself on his face. "It would seem that Ichigo has finally arrived. Rowen will have his archery instructor in the morning. Ishida is one of the best. Inoue-san is here as well."

Claudia rose from the bed, positively enraged. "Where does that _bastard_ get off? He's attacking people in their sleep? I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to send me a sorry-assed message of apology next. When I see him next, he's dead!"

She stormed from the room without another word as Mia shook her head. Toshiro declined her offer for tea and she too left. Kima was still shaking as she clutched his shirt for dear life. He gently smoothed her hair and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Are you alright?"

The blonde shook her head. "I'm scared. For the first time, thinking about this final fight has made me aware of everything there is to lose. I don't know if I can do it. I'm afraid, Toshiro."

"I know." He said as he climbed over her to the empty side of the bed. "I'll be there with you, though. We'll all be there. I know you're afraid, but let us give you our strength."

Kima nodded as she snuggled close to him after he'd settled under the covers. She laid her head on his shoulder and smiled a bit as she felt his arms wrap around her. It wasn't long until Toshiro felt her breathing level out and she was asleep once again. Hopefully he could chase away her nightmares. Leaning his cheek against her head, he stared at the ceiling. He doubted that he'd be able to go back to sleep that night.

...

Pulling open the door, Mia saw three figures on the front porch. Blinking, none of them looked older than fifteen or sixteen. The young man with the orange hair turned around to look at her with a scowl on his face. She put on a bright smile as she greeted them.

"You must be Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida Uryu, and Inoue Orihime. I'm Mia Koji. Please, come in."

"Where is that little white-haired midget? I want to know what this is all about. His hair-brained lieutenant didn't give us details at all."

Mia, not thinking twice, gladly gave him the information he wanted. "Toshiro's upstairs; second room on the left."

The orange-haired teen was up the stairs in a flash and entering the bedroom. As he opened his mouth to speak, it fell the rest of the way open. "T-Toshiro? Wh-what is that?"

A scowl placed itself on the captains face. "Can I not sleep too?"

"It's just…you…a girl…oh, never mind."

"I have feelings just like any normal person."

"That's just it, midget, you're not normal."

...

End Chapter.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"Ichigo, if you haven't already noticed, no one in this group is normal, yourself included," Renji muttered as he came to stand next to him. "Leave Toshiro to his current task and come down stairs. We'll do the introductions and fill you in on ever-"

"Renji!" Kento bounded up the stairs, looking panicked and out of breath. "Renji, man, Claudia's losin' it!"

"Dammit," Renji muttered as he turned and threw himself over the second floor banister, landing lightly on hardwood of the ground floor. He slipped into the family room, Ichigo and Kento hot on his heels. "Claudia…"

"I'll kill him!" She cried, her hands gripping the window sill, her knuckles bleached completely white. Her entire body shook and there was a wild ferocity in her eyes that, had her spiritual energy not been completely out of control, would have been a huge turn-on for him.

"As much as I'd love to see you do that right now, you really need to calm down. Claudia, reign it in!" Renji commanded as he crossed the room, grabbed her and spun her around to face him. "Calm down!"

"I hate him!"

"I know," Renji said gently, his fingers tightening on her forearms. "You're going to bring Zaraki down on us and-oh…that easy?"

She stared at him, sobered completely by the thought of Kenpachi barging into the house. "I'm too tired to deal with him," She whined, her shoulders slumping. Renji smiled, relieved.

"Yeah, and I don't think my heart can take watching that all over again so soon. Go sit down before you fall down," They exchanged a very intimate and understanding look before Claudia nodded and headed for the couch, shoving Kento roughly over to make room for herself. Ichigo noticed the exchange and smirked a little at Renji who frowned at him, shaking his head. Now wasn't the time for the teasing.

"Want a shot?" Sage asked as he walked passed Ichigo and passed Claudia a shot glass, topped off with tequila. "I'm not doing it alone,"

"Keep them coming," She muttered as she downed the shot, holding out the glass to him for a refill. Renji snatched it from her and downed her second shot, which earned him a nasty but playful look from Claudia.

"Breaking out the booze…must be bad," Ichigo muttered, folding his arms over his chest as Renji handed the shot glass back to Claudia.

"It is," Renji sighed and looked around the room. "This is Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute soul reaper of Karakura town. The young woman is Orihime Inoue-" Claudia reached up and smacked Kento in the back of head, throwing his roaming eyes to the ground with the impact of her palm. Renji chuckled and cleared his throat before continuing. "She is our resident healer. Nifty little ability. And the oddly feminine looking guy is Uryu Ishida, Quincy."

Uryu glared at Renji, pushing up his glasses with his index finger before looking away.

"And these are the Ronin Warriors. Kento of Hardrock, Sage of the Halo, Cye of the Torrent, Rowen of Strata and Ryo of Wildfire." He pointed to each of them in turn. "The woman upstairs with Toshiro is Kima the Destroyer. This is Claudia," Renji smirked at her. "Soul Reaper in training, you could say. Ichigo, you'll be interested to know she put Zaraki-taichou in the dirt this morning,"

Now Ichigo looked at Claudia like a warrior assessing an ally and a good sparring partner. He was interested now.

"Claudia," He said quietly, nodding his head before looking back at the Ronins. "One of the gates like the ones we saw the entire way here showed up in Karakura town shortly after we left. Most everyone has vanished from the town,"

Renji nodded solemnly. "We know,"

"Is it Aizen?"

"We believe this is his doing, yes. Which is why the whole of the Soul Society is involved now. We thought it would be an isolated incident, but the gates have somehow crossed over into the Soul Society. According to the report we received a few hours ago, sixty gates within the Rukongai. So far, none within the Seireitei itself, but they're keeping an eye out."

"Which captains are stationed outside of the Soul Society? I sensed Ukitake and Zaraki."

"Kuchiki-taichou, Kyoraku-taichou and Retsu-taichou." Renji said as he folded his arms over his chest. Sage and Claudia had given up on the tequila after only a few shots, but it was just meant to take the edge off the stress, anyway.

"Where did these gates come from?" Uryu asked quietly, trying to regain his dignity. "My grandfather never told me anything about gates like those,"

"They're from the nether world," Ryo explained evenly, frowning. "The evil Dynasty. They broke free seven years ago, but only around Toyama. It was a pretty isolated incident. We've never seen them this strong before, and according to Claudia's mother, the gates are rising in Rome, meaning they're spreading all over the world,"

"Yeah," Claudia murmured as Kento lifted his head to look back at the group. His eyes drifted and Claudia raised her hand to smack him again, but he quickly turned his gaze to Ichigo.

"So you're that soul reaper these guys have been raving about? You've dealt with that Aizen guy before?"

"Yeah," Ichigo confirmed, frowning. "That guy is unbelievably strong. He went through the trouble of faking his own murder just to make sure his plan worked. The two other former captains with him, Tosen and Ichimaru, they're not to be taken lightly, either. Any sign of them?"

Renji shook his head. "Nothing of those three yet, but we're having to deal with the Dynasty's Dark Warlords. One of which was, until as recently as three days ago, on our side,"

Ichigo scoffed. "Once evil, always evil. Who are these guys and how strong are they?"

"Stronger than they were seven years ago, but we're not sure when they made the transition. We had thought, after that last battle seven years ago, they had changed. They helped us kill Talpa and we had ended it as friends. But it seems Aizen had more to offer them," Rowen offered, sighing. "But what was holding Dais here wasn't as strong as he thought,"

Claudia glanced at Rowen, frowning. "If you think for one minute I was gonna hold onto that spider for any reason after what he did, you're an idiot!"

"I wasn't-"

"Shut up, Rowen," Renji barked, but he turned his glare on Claudia. "I thought I told you to calm down?"

Now she glared up at him and got off the couch, moving back towards the window to brood. "It's easy for you to say it but it's not easy for me to follow through with. He attacked Kima in her dreams, Renji! How long do you think it'll be before he turns his attention to the rest of us, huh? That's his special talent; illusion. He'll get to all of us eventually,"

"And we'll be ready," Renji said thickly. "But you've still got to look at it with a level head. Just stay calm. All that anger is better aimed at him on the battlefield. Otherwise, you'll just amuse him into being more sinister. It's what he wants, Claudia. He wants to rile you and Kima both up."

Claudia nodded as she looked back out through the window, glad the sun was rising again. They had all woken the second Kima had started screaming, and since then, none of them had been even remotely interested in returning to bed. Claudia least of all. He was definitely going to come after her, she just didn't even want to begin imagining what he'd show her. Images of Dorian…how he died… or worse…

She looked back at Renji and her chest tightened. Would he do to her what he'd done to Kima? Would he show her Renji's death just to upset her? Tears were in her eyes before she could stop them and she quickly turned away, but not quick enough for Renji to miss them. His lips parted for a moment before he turned back to the group.

"Rowen, Uryu is the archer that Toshiro was telling you about. He'll help train you to be more efficient with your bow,"

Rowen stood up and bowed in thanks to the dark haired man. "I thank you, Uryu,"

"Yeah, you're welcome," Uryu said, surprised by the formality. He and Rowen would end up friends before the end of their training.

"Good morning!" Kayura stepped into the room and smiled at everyone, her hands resting on her hips. "The sun is rising so I say we got a move on." She threw her thumb over her shoulder and turned to go. "We're running out of time and we all need to get stronger,"

"And that would be Lady Kayura," Renji pointed out when Ichigo, Orihime and Uryu threw him questioning looks. "She's definitely not someone you want to piss off,"

"True facts," Kento jumped up and cracked his knuckles. "What do you say, Renji? Ready for another round?"

Renji smirked at Kento and nodded. "Go on then. I'll meet you outside," The room cleared out in half a second, only Ichigo hesitating on the threshold, exchanging a glance between himself and Renji, but Renji's attention was caught by Claudia, so Ichigo turned and followed everyone else outside.

"Claudia?" Renji walked towards her, reached out and took her hand. "What's wrong?"

"I noticed it," She whispered. "but I never questioned it. Every time I was with him, I always had the most beautiful and amazing dreams," A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away with her fingers, scowling. "I didn't realize that it was because he was the one creating them. Someone who can do that…"

"It's a dangerous ability,"

"He's going to turn all those beautiful dreams into nightmares," Claudia whispered looking up at him sadly. "He's going to do to me what he did to Kima. He's going to show me your death…"

Renji pulled her into his arms and scowled at the space behind her. "That stupid fucker has another thing coming if he thinks that he could kill me, even in your nightmares. Believe me, Claudia, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not."

"I know," Claudia whispered, her arms tight around his neck. "He scares the shit out of me. He always has, but now it's just… I don't know what to do. He was on our side, Renji."

"And he's a man scorned. Once you let that take hold, it's easy to make the wrong decisions. Look, we'll fight him together. He can't separate us and as long as you and I are a team, we're going to be kicking some serious ass, okay?"

Claudia chuckled a little, unable to help herself. "Kicking ass, yes, okay,"

"Good, now, let's start with Kento. You take Ichigo."

"Oh boy,"

...

Claudia was already in the shower by the time Renji slipped back into the bedroom they were sharing and pulled his clothes off. He was thoroughly exhausted, having sparred with _everyone_ throughout the day. Ichigo took the most out of him, as usual, because Ichigo never seemed to let his abilities or his strength slip. He was always in constant training with himself. The easiest fights were with Orihime and Uryu, but what they lacked in physical strength, they made up for in spiritual abilities. Uryu was still a force to be reckoned with, Orihime wasn't innocent either.

And then there was Kento who was so determined to get stronger that he worked himself to the brink. Renji touched the bruise forming on his chest and snorted. While Kento had gotten in two good punches, Renji had gotten in four more and would have completely knocked Kento out if Claudia hadn't suddenly ambushed him. Kento seemed to have taken a lot of pleasure in working with her to get him to his knees, and while fighting both of them at the same time had proven to be quite the workout, they still didn't beat him.

Of course he hadn't beaten them, either.

Renji rolled his shoulders for a moment, then pulled his hair down from the band, letting the long crimson locks fall to his shoulders and down his back before he let himself fall back onto the mattress. He was pleasantly full, as well. Mia had had a hard go of it for food with all of the extra mouths to feed, but she'd managed to fish out a ton of meat from the basement freezer and by the time the sun had begun to set, she'd cooked up a feast like no other. It was the first time in a long time that Renji had been able to stuff himself to the point of heaven. And the others all agreed.

Halfway through their practices, Toshiro and Kima had both emerged, fresh and ready for a go. Ichigo and Toshiro paired up almost immediately, and Kima and Kayura ended up having a go. The Ronins were all doing so much better. All of the training, the weapons practice, it was all going so much smoother. Toshiro had decided that tomorrow they would continue the training with the Ronins all in their armors to see how far they'd truly progressed. For Toshiro to have made that decision so soon meant that they were seriously running out of time. Maybe a month had been too much of a stretch. They'd assumed Aizen wouldn't have the power to open all of the gates, and they were right, but Aizen didn't need to open _all_ of the gates to get the game started.

Renji sat up, reached back and braided his hair sloppily then pushed all of those thoughts far from his mind. He was too tired to worry over what might happen in the next couple of days or weeks. Sighing, he yanked the blankets back, slid beneath them and closed his eyes the second his head hit the pillow. He'd think about everything else tomorrow.

Claudia stepped into the bedroom, a dark blue towel wrapped around her sopping wet form while she braided her soaking hair and wrapped it into a sloppy, wet mess of a bun. She grabbed her pajama shorts and a tank top from her bag and grinned at Renji's sleeping form before she slipped on a pair of socks, dropped the towel in the hamper and headed downstairs. He'd been more exhausted than he'd let on.

It was a similar scene throughout the rest of the house. Most everyone was asleep, too exhausted to care that they'd left their doors open, though Claudia made a point to shut Kento's door as tightly as possible. He was already snoring at obnoxious octaves.

Kima and Toshiro were still wide awake, as well as Ichigo and Ryo, all of them gathered in the kitchen, talking quietly over what was happening and what might happen. Perhaps Claudia was a tad bit underdressed for the occasion, but she didn't really care. She hadn't had time to wash any of her other, more appropriate clothes, and she wasn't going to ask Mia to do it. That was just something she'd take care of in the morning.

"Going to do a load of laundry in the morning," Claudia said offhandedly as she slipped between the group and grabbed a bottle of water. "if you want me to wash yours with mine,"

"Thanks," Kima smiled as most of the other men in the room turned their heads.

"Could ya' put some clothes on?" Ichigo complained. Claudia rolled her eyes.

"My unmentionables are covered sufficiently," Claudia muttered, smirking a little. "What's the matter? Embarrassed to see a little skin?"

"Shut up!" Ichigo chorused, frowning. "You women and your lack of shame,"

"You men and your insecurities," Claudia bit back, though she was smiling playfully. Her ensemble wasn't that bad. Like she'd said, everything was covered up, but she did have a rather curvaceous body, though her chest had nothing on Rangiku. Which reminded her…

"Are they real?"

Kima seemed to realize what she was asking and nearly choked on her soda. "W-what?"

"If they're not, the Soul Society must have a really, really good plastic surgeon,"

Toshiro went red in the face, suddenly catching on. "We are not talking about this,"

Claudia and Kima both giggled. "Well, gee, Toshiro, they're kind of hard to miss. She doesn't even try to cover them up and they're just, well, they're her most outstanding feature,"

Toshiro's eyes were closed and his jaw twitched in his effort not to yell. Damned women and their crazy conversations!

"Yeah, I wonder, is Orihime related to her by chance?" Now Ichigo was sputtering. Kima and Claudia giggled again before they gave up on the conversation.

"Are you down here for the same reason I am?" Kima's voice had lowered and Claudia froze, her dark eyes shifting to meet her knowing gaze.

"Yeah," She whispered as she took another sip of the cool water. "Creepy crawly insects like Dais thrive in the night. And I don't want him crawling over me, so I'll sacrifice sleep for now,"

"That's not wise," Ichigo muttered. "You'll have to sleep eventually. I'm headed that way myself, as a matter of fact. Toshiro, Claudia, Kima," He nodded to them and slipped out of the kitchen and into the den where he and Uryu were bunked with Yulie who had graciously given up his room for Orihime and Kayura to share.

"He's right," Toshiro murmured, sighing quietly. "Renji and I are both here. My presence stopped him from invading the second time this morning, Kima. It is likely that I will be able to stop him again. If not, I will wake you. And Renji will know to wake you, Claudia,"

"That's not the point," Claudia murmured.

"By the time you wake us, the damage will be done," Kima whispered. "That man can get into the furthest reaches of our minds and create an illusion so beautiful that you can't help but slip into it, and when you do, he turns everything against you, twisting it into a vicious, horrible nightmare that isn't easy to get out of. He'll see everything that you want, you hope for, that you've had, he'll turn it all against you, take it all away from you so that all you're left with is despair."

Claudia shuddered over Kima's description and took another sip of her water just to have something to distract herself. There were so many wonderful things that she wanted, so many things she'd had and could still have. How much of it would he use against her? How much of it would he take away?

Kima reached out and took her hand. "I know, Claudia. I know,"

...

_It was bright out. A beautiful, warm day with a lush, cool breeze. They were both lying on a blanket on a cliff overlooking the Seireitei. Birds were singing off key in the forest behind them. Claudia was beside him, her eyes closed, humming the tune to some old song she loved. Her body was wrapped loosely in a light blue kimono, her belly rounded heavily with pregnancy._

_ Renji stared over at her, in awe of the way she glowed in the sunlight, as happy as could be. He'd never imagined they'd get to this point. He'd never really thought passed the day they occupied, didn't look ahead to the far future when the one closest was always blinding him. All of the fighting, all of the chaos, he'd never been able to see past it to this._

_ They'd been in the Soul Society for six months now. She hadn't taken the rank of captain, she hadn't wanted it. She hadn't wanted to be a part of a squad either, and for now, Old Man Yama had allowed the decision to pass, though one day she'd have to make a choice. Even if it was already made, she'd have to make it official. There were a few squads that still needed a captain and she'd do so well leading one._

_ "It's very rude to stare, Renji,"_

_ "I can't help it!" He chuckled, tilting over to nuzzle her neck with his nose and take in her sweet scent. "You're too beautiful not to look at,"_

_ "For a cow, you mean,"_

_ "Claudia, you're not a cow!"_

_ "Might as well be," She muttered, but she was smiling as her hands rested at the top of her belly. "How did we get to this point, Renji?"_

_ He smiled. "I have no idea," Renji reached out and rested his hand over hers on her belly and waited for that familiar nudge in response to his spiritual pressure. And there it was. Recognition from their child that he was there with them._

_ "I mean it, Renji," and now he looked up into her eyes and was confused._

_ "What is it, Claudia?"_

_ "How did we get here? What about the fighting? The Dynasty? Aizen? _Dais_?"_

_ Then his mind began to work and he growled quietly. The image was fading already, the scene turning dark, unwelcoming. What had happened? She was right, he couldn't remember the battle either or how it had gone. Now that he was trying to remember, their sweet day was souring around him. Now he was sitting alone in the middle of the woods, weary and confused, Zabimaru resting on the ground at his feet in its sealed state, which confused him more. His body was heavy, his breathing was ragged. Had he been fighting?_

_ Already, the earlier image was gone, completely forgotten in the aura of battle that surrounded him. A blood curdling scream from somewhere ahead of him had him lurching to his feet and racing through the trees, Zabimaru glowing with power as he gripped its hilt._

_ "Claudia! Claudia, I'm coming for you! CLAUDIA!" Another scream as he broke through the trees and leapt into the middle of the meadow, turning in a small circle, looking frantically for any sign of which direction to go. It was gone! He couldn't _feel_ her anymore. Her spiritual pressure…it was gone. _

_ "No! Claudia!" Zabimaru vibrated in his hand and he spun around, racing back into the forest while Zabimaru's spirit danced ahead of him, roaring in despair and defiance. "You're not dead, Claudia. You're not. You're not! CLAUDIA!"_

_ He skidded to a halt as the fog that had been drifting around the trees loosened and cleared away. His whole body shook in his shock, his eyes wide in disbelief and terror. "Cl-Claudia…" he reached out, stumbling, and hit his knees._

_ There in the center of the trees was a wicked web of power, dying down now, but still with enough spark to bite. And Claudia was hung in the center of it, limp and lifeless. Sarubimaru was in pieces below her dangling feet, drenched with the blood flowing down from her body. Her kimono was torn to shreds and there were six deep gashes in her chest and torso from the Morning Star that Dais commanded. Cuts and bruises adorned the parts of her body that hadn't been ripped open._

_ Renji's stomach twisted and he trembled with the violent sickness that overcame him. She was dead and he hadn't been there to protect her, to save her. She was dead and he'd been lying unconscious on the other side of the forest. What good was he now? He hadn't been there for her when she'd needed him like he'd promised, and now that vision, that dream, it would never happen._

_ "No," Renji growled, wiping his mouth and looking back up at the web. Like before, his mind was working. "This isn't real," He whispered, unable to tear his eyes from the sight of her mangled body and the web of power that held her. "No, Claudia…"_

_ He closed his eyes and bent towards the ground, choking on an anguished sob as he pressed his forehead to the cold grass beneath him. With his eyes closed, he concentrated, tiny invisible tendrils of his spiritual pressure drifting out from his body to touch the web. It faltered under the feel of his spiritual pressure. It wavered and shimmered almost like a hologram, an illusion, and then moved on to touch the rest of it. It hesitated as it reached Claudia's body but he forced himself to probe, to explore. Her body flickered, shimmered, an illusion._

_ Renji relaxed, but kept up his own illusion. It wasn't real! Claudia wasn't dead because he couldn't protect her. She wasn't dead at all. If anything, she was sound asleep right next to him in the bed they'd been sharing. Dais had been stupid to choose his mind instead of Claudia's._

_ He hadn't moved, hadn't stopped crying. But something moved in the woods, on the outskirts of the illusion web, and it was coming closer to him. Just a little closer and he'd be able to touch it… just a little closer. Just. A little. Closer._

_ Closer._

_ Almost there._

_ Closer…Got him!_

_ "Get out of my head!" His hand shot through the invisible walls of the illusion and curled around Dais's throat with bone crushing force. Dais stared at him in complete surprise, Renji's ability to see through the illusion having been completely unexpected. His mind was too sharply tuned to the real worlds around him, courtesy of his training in the Soul Reaper academy, for sure. This man had been properly trained all of his life and knew, or would know at some point, when his mind was being tampered with._

_ "I will take it all away from you, Abarai," Dais promised, smiling as the illusion fell away from him and he began to fade in Renji's grasp. "You will lose everything to me,"_

_ "You son of a bitch!" Renji shouted just as everything went dark and Dais, the web of power and not-Claudia's mangled body vanished._

His eyes snapped open and he lurched forward in the darkness, breathing heavily, his body covered in sweat.

"Whoa, you okay?" Claudia asked as she stepped into the bedroom from the balcony. "Renji? What's wrong?"

He reached out for her and she went to him at once, crawling onto the bed and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Tell me! What is it? What's wrong?"

"Stupid bastard," Renji spat as he looped the arm he'd been holding out towards her around her waist. "He'll learn not to fuck with me,"

"Dais?" Claudia gasped, surprised. "Dais? Dais came after you? Renji-"

"I saw through it, eventually," Renji assured, sighing heavily. "Got my fingers around his throat, too. He won't try that again with me,"

Claudia bit her lip as she studied his disturbed expression and the sweat dripping down his face. His hair was damp and tangled, but he'd looked so peaceful while he'd been sleeping so she hadn't even thought anything might be wrong.

"I've been worrying all night that he'd come after me," Claudia whispered as she ran her fingers soothingly through his long dark hair. "I didn't even give it a second thought that he might try to come after you." He leaned against her and she felt tears springing to her eyes. "I can only imagine what he showed you. What he put you through… Renji, I'm so sorry,"

"You didn't do this!" Renji snapped, shocked by her apology. "Don't you dare apologize for this!"

He was angry as he stared at her.

"Renji-"

"No!" He growled as he rolled away and marched out onto the balcony, seething. He was pissed, but not at her. "This isn't your fault, Claudia. I won't give that fucker the satisfaction of letting you even feel remotely guilty for his actions. I mean that!"

"I know," She whispered as she climbed back off the bed and joined him on the balcony, her hand resting lightly at his back. "Renji, I know. I didn't mean…" They both sighed at the same time and he let go of the railing to pull her to his chest.

"And the dream started out so beautifully, for a moment I let myself believe it was real. I wanted that dream, Claudia. I wanted that to be our future so badly that I believed it was real, right up to the very moment I realized that it wasn't,"

Claudia, her arms wrapped tightly around his huge body, blinked and smiled gently. "What was it?"

"Us, you, me, in the Soul Society. We were happy. There was no more fighting, no chaos. Just you and me and…" He hesitated now, resting his chin on top of her hair, unsure if he should go on. To think about it was to want it, and to want it was to bring about the possibility of never attaining it. They hadn't named what they had between them because they didn't want to lose it. And now that he'd seen what he really wanted…

"Tell me," Claudia urged, snuggling into his chest.

"You were pregnant. Heavily pregnant. And you were so happy. Positively glowing,"

Claudia flinched inwardly at the thought of her body thickening with a baby. She'd worked so hard for the shape she had, she couldn't imagine it with such a protrusion. But of course, as he described it, she started to realize that she could see it. What was more, she realized she wanted it, too.

She groaned, pushing that thought away to keep from giving Dais anything to work with when he finally decided to come after her.

"What?"

Claudia looked up at him, making a face. "You just had to dream of me as a cow, didn't you?"

Renji grinned and laughed quietly. "You were beautiful and you weren't a cow,"

"Ah, thank god it was a dream. I don't imagine I'll be anything close to as angelic as you just described when I'm pregnant with your kid," She turned and headed back into the bedroom and Renji gasped, his chest tightening. She'd said _when_ not _if_. He pinched himself. Hard enough to bruise. Just to make sure no one was messing with him and he'd been awake and in the real world when he'd heard that. He'd made the distinction, but he wondered if she had. Well, of course she had, that's why she'd walked away and made that offhand comment to hide her own embarrassment over the subject.

Renji snorted quietly as he followed her back inside and crawled over her on the bed, showering kisses all over her face and neck. She chuckled, pushing at him and trying to roll him off of her so she could spread out, but his attentions couldn't be swayed and she couldn't find a reason to blame him. Whatever he'd seen in that nightmare had clearly shaken him, so she wasn't going to push him away when all he needed was to prove to himself that she was really there.

_I hope you do come after me in my dreams, Dais._ Claudia swore viciously in her mind as she closed her eyes and whimpered in pleasure. Renji's hands were getting a little rebellious on her. _I hope you come after me so I can show you your own nightmare, you sick son of a bitch!_

...

Dais growled nastily, his own fingers wrapped delicately around his own throat. There was actually a bruise forming in the shape of that redheaded brute's hand! How had he done that? How had he detected the illusion? And more importantly, how had he known that Dais had been standing right beside him?

"Tricky, these Soul Reapers,"

Dais blinked and looked up as the ghostly figure of Dorian danced around him, half a hollow mask plastered to the left side of his face.

"What do you want?" Dais growled, taking a swipe at the creature before leaning away from the candlelight to stare out into the vast nothingness of the Dynasty. Strange that he'd actually missed being here.

"Master sent me to check in. He's ever so excited about all these new developments. The Seireitei is so loosely protected, its captains spread so thin, that he can finally raise a gate within it. Of course, he can't open it so soon. It may be many, many months, maybe years until he can but, oh! It's such good news!" Dorian danced around, grinning nastily as Dais grabbed a cold towel and wrapped it around his neck and bare shoulders.

"I don't care about the Seireitei. What I want is in Toyama,"

"Of course," Dorian chuckled, a nasty, strangled sound. "But what you want doesn't matter so long as you serve the master. Once the gate is within the Seireitei, it will never go away. Even if these gates are destroyed, that one will always remain…"

The sing-song croon coming from that creepy little arrancar was starting to get irritating.

"Message delivered," Dais spat. "Now move on. I have things to do,"

Dorian, or at least the arrancar that had claimed his body, continued to laugh as it danced out of the room to find someone else to share the good news with. Dais' eye narrowed. Master. When was he going to meet his new Master?

...

"BONSAI!"

"Kento, you barbarian, don't you dare!" Mia shouted, ducking behind Claudia's shoulder as the warrior of Hardrock cannon balled his huge body into the dead center of the hot spring pool. Claudia and Kima both chuckled as they were drenched, grateful for the heat that cascaded down their shoulders and backs. The day had been long and it had been hard. With the Ronins now training in their armor, they could fully appreciate the feel of the spiritual pressure from the soul reapers around them, making the sparring matches much more difficult. You wouldn't think that would be so, but Toshiro and Renji had mainly been training them within their gigais and not their spirit forms. Ichigo had also been giving aid, though his favorite sparring partner at the moment seemed to be Claudia. She didn't mind it, either, because there was a lot in his reckless abandon that he'd been able to teach her.

He'd even given her the courtesy of teaching her his shunpo technique, which had worn her down to the breaking point in the end, but she'd managed to get the gist of it. He promised they'd try again tomorrow.

If anyone ever made it past the hot springs long enough to even bother grabbing a bite to eat before bed.

"I thought you said you didn't want to come near this place because we'd tainted the water?" Claudia asked as Kento surfaced. His eyes went wide and he quickly spat out the water that had slipped into his gaping hole of a mouth. "Just so you know, we didn't taint the water,"

Renji laughed as Kento howled, pressing his palms to his ears. "I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU TAINTED OR WHERE! God, freaks!"

Claudia snorted as she relaxed in the water, closing her eyes as the heat fused into her muscles and worked them into putty. Kima, Mia, Orihime and Kayura were all on either side of her, all of them relaxing. The men lined the opposite side of the springs walls, talking and chatting about tomorrow's training and what they would learn. It was an altogether peaceful night. The stars were out and shining, the wind was cool and the water hot.

If they hadn't all known better, they would have thought all was right in the world.

"I remember," Ryo murmured as he stared up at the stars. "when the nether soldiers were the toughest things we'd ever had to fight,"

Kento laughed. "Yeah, and then we had our asses handed to us by Anubis! And there we thought we were all bad ass,"

"We were just kids," Sage admitted, but was smiling. "But you're right. Anubis did have the advantage. Age, wisdom, experience. He had it, we didn't."

"He still has it," Kima muttered under her breath, glad that no one had any witty comebacks for that one.

"You know, I wonder about that," Cye admitted, looking right at her. "If Anubis is in the Soul Society and just comes and goes as he pleases in the Seireitei, is it possible for him to come back in a gigai as they do?"

"It's possible," Renji admitted, his face screwed up in thought. "The gigai would have to be a bit more complex since he isn't a soul reaper. I'm sure Kisuke-sama could come up with something if he had to,"

"Oh, let's not encourage that!" Kima groaned, closing her eyes. "He's the last thing we need,"

"Haha, great grandpapa Doji come to annoy us all into the ground with his great words of wisdom and his boyish good looks," Kayura laughed. "But I bet Mia wouldn't mind him coming back, would you!"

Mia blushed fiercely and sank deeper into the water. "I don't know what you mean, Kayura," And the withering look she threw at Kayura made the rest of the group nearly drown they were laughing so hard. "I'm glad you're all enjoying a laugh at my expense,"

"It was such a great laugh, too!" Kento bellowed, only to have Mia leap at him and try to drown him, but her tiny form was no match and he had her over his shoulder in no time. The laughter continued, but it eventually died down as everyone relaxed in the hot water.

Half an hour later, Mia, Orihime and Uryu left the hot springs to head back to the house and figure out something to make for dinner while the rest of the group soaked in a few more minutes of hot water before they all started to climb out and dry off.

"Hey, Renji," Ichigo threw a towel around his shoulders and walked over to the red head who was pulling on a pair of loose white jogging pants over his soaked legs.

"Yeah?"

"That woman, Claudia,"

Renji looked up to see Claudia, Kima and Kayura way ahead of them on the trail and looked over his shoulder at Ichigo, pulling on the jacket that matched his pants, leaving it open.

"Yeah?"

"You said she's a soul reaper in training, but she's not like me. It comes more natural to her. Why?"

"She's not a substitute soul reaper. She was born with that crazy spiritual pressure. I can't really explain it, but she's a direct descendant of a very powerful family. The head of that family used to be one of the Dynasty's warlords,"

"That Anubis guy they were talking about?"

"Yeah," Renji nodded as they joined the others back on the trail towards the house.

"How powerful is this Dynasty?"

"Pretty powerful, but still easily taken care of. Or it would be, if Aizen wasn't the reason for its sudden reappearance. This is worrisome. Seven years ago, when it happened the first time, no one in the Soul Society even batted an eye. The place was protected and the Dynasty wasn't doing anything on such a large scale as they are now. They hadn't cared or known about the Soul Society. But Aizen is behind this and he knows, and now these damn gates are showing up all over the world,"

"In other words, this is going to be a huge pain in the ass,"

"Yeah," Renji agreed, frowning. "A really big one,"

...

End Chapter


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"How does that fit you, Kaosu-san?"

The figure moved his fingers and rolled his neck, giving a satisfied nod. "It's perfect. I haven't been in a flesh body for so long."

The man in front of him laughed a bit. "My gigais are the best. This one took me a while, though. Now, all of your Ancient abilities will still work and I believe you'll be needing this."

"Arigatou, Urahara-san. Kima was right when she said you could help." He said, accepting the staff that he was handed.

"Doshimashitei, Doji-san. Let Hitsugaya-taichou or Abarai-fukutaichou know if you require anything else."

The redhead nodded. "It's been so long since I've gone by Doji Shuten. I think I'll take it up again."

...

The amount of nightmares that were occurring in the household was unreal. When Dais had attacked, he'd made them all his victims. The Ronins were, one by one, showing up the next morning with bags under their eyes as they never went back to sleep. Kima had become really angry with this, calling the warlord of illusion a coward for not just showing up to fight. Toshiro had had to remind her that her spiritual pressure was knocking almost everyone around her to the ground when this happened.

"I don't understand." Kima stated, deep in thought. "He's coming after me. Why is he attacking everyone else?"

"Because he's a prick?" Kento offered.

Kima chuckled. "Other than that. Dais never carried out something without a plan. He's obviously trying to make a pretty big deal out of this."

"I'd say so." Sage spoke up. "You're his biggest enemy, right? It's like he's slapping you in the face with his glove. Dais is making you a challenge."

"Of course. Why didn't I think of that?" Kima replied, rolling her eyes.

"You're going to have to be careful, Kima." Ryo told her. "Dais will not give up. He's throwing everything into this stupid challenge. You're like his greatest artistic creation, so he's not going to hold back."

The blonde sighed as the others' attention was now focused on her. "I realize that. I'm expecting this to be my last battle anyway. I'm going to give it everything I've got. We've been training for weeks now and I've been able to harness my spiritual pressure into my attacks. Dais is definitely not going to know what hit him."

"Why are you being so pessimistic about this?" Cye asked. "How do you know that you're not going to walk away from this battle?"

"Anubis has been telling me all along, Cye." She sighed. "The method in which I chose to return your armors puts the most strain on my body. With the final transfer of power, I'm expecting my body to shut down. And if Anubis wasn't enough, the spirits of your armors have been telling me the same thing."

"Why did you choose that method, then?" Rowen asked, ever inquisitive. "Why not just give them back to us in one move?"

"Because I didn't know what it would do to you, okay?" Kima confessed, looking away. "Because of what we are, you guys were my only friends. Don't tell me that after everything went back to normal, you didn't feel strange. We knew the truth when everyone else didn't remember any of it. We all have physical scars and mental ones. You can't imagine the stories I've made up to the other students about how I got _my_ scar."

The six of them sat in silence as they pondered this information. It had been difficult being fifteen years old and harboring a secret that no one knew of other than your teammates. The fighting and the destruction were always in the back of their minds, replaying from time to time. No, a bearer of one of the sacred armors could never go back to pretending to be a normal teenager.

"You're right." Kento said finally. "We were pretty much all each other had."

"That's really kind of sad when you think about it, but it was true. We couldn't tell anyone else about it and we really didn't fit in with the other kids our age." Rowen mused.

Sage sighed as he shook his head. "I guess we really should've stayed together after the fight with Talpa. We wouldn't have been alone then."

"We couldn't have stayed together forever." Kima admitted. "We would've never been able to move on with our lives. We'd have been trapped in that battle forever. I think it was probably best that we went our separate ways."

Ryo nodded. "I agree. We're each our own person and we live our own lives. No matter how much strength we give one another, we can't stay together all the time. We'd suffocate."

"Like getting squeezed to death by a chunky aunt." Kento added, sticking out his tongue.

A laugh spread through the group before they fell silent again. The bond that had been created between them provided some security. Soon a piece would be missing and the bond would never be the same again. Their training had reached a lull. The shinigami were training together along with the others. This gave them some free time to properly say goodbye, as it were. None of them wanted to admit that things would never be normal again knowing that. Their attention was drawn by someone approaching. All six heads turned in the direction of the familiar presence that was now making his way toward them. Kima's eyes widened as she watched him make his way over and sit down with them, silence remaining in the group.

"Well, I can tell that my presence was not expected here."

"A-Anubis?" Ryo stuttered, his mouth falling open.

"None other, Rekka. You might want to close that. You'll start catching flies."

As Ryo closed his mouth, it was Rowen who turned his attention to the Ancient next. "How did you get here? You're dead, aren't you?"

"Well, you see," Anubis started, "I walked here. I am dead, yes, and I prefer to be Doji Shuten now, if you don't mind."

A scowl settled on Kima's face, knowing in theory how he must've gotten here. "You went to Urahara's shop, didn't you?"

The redhead laughed as he focused his attention on her. "Of course, Destroyer. I requested an untraceable gigai so that the higher ranked officers in the Seireitei couldn't find me after I returned to the world of the living. All of my Ancient abilities are still intact as well."

"That still doesn't tell us why you're here." Kento said flatly.

"Poor Hardrock, as blunt as ever. I am here because our little lady lacks the mental fortitude to withstand Dais's attacks." Shuten replied, shifting his gaze to Kima.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd swear that was an insult, Shuten-san." The blonde commented, sticking her tongue out.

"I'm merely saying that you couldn't put up with his attacks, could you? He's started with the nightmares, has he not?" Kima nodded slowly, lowering her gaze. Shuten sighed as he took a step closer. "His next step will be to attack you while you're awake. Dais will paint a picture before you while you are awake, if he thinks that he can. He will use your friends against you. You know this, Destroyer."

"I do know this." Kima replied, looking up at him. "What do I have to do? How can I keep Dais from getting the better of me?"

Shuten's lips curled into smirk. "I knew you'd ask. Come with me, Kima. I'll teach you the basics of what you need to know. Then all it is is meditation and practice. We'll see you boys later."

Each of the Ronins blinked as they stared after the two. None of them were quite sure what had just happened. Anubis just walked back into the picture wishing to be called Shuten and whisked Kima away from them for some mental training. More mind games woven by the giant spider? There was also the better question. What would they do if Toshiro asked for her?

...

The two made their way up the mountain and into the forest until they came to a familiar waterfall; familiar to Shuten anyway. As they made their way underneath it, Shuten took a seat on the damp rock and folded his legs. Kima imitated the position as she stared at him, waiting for him to speak. When Shuten finally looked up at her, a serious look settled on his face.

"These attacks from Dais only prove one thing. He is able to break your defenses when you are least aware."

"I realize that." Kima said. "He's waiting for a moment of vulnerability to make me weak."

"Then we must strengthen that vulnerability. I have abilities given to me by the Ancient that I may use to strengthen your weakness. I will ask you now, are you willing for me to do what is necessary to build up your mental abilities?"

Kima nodded. "Help me, Shuten. I can't fight Dais as I am now."

"Be prepared to experience things you have never imagined."

...

The Ronins were sitting around in a slight daze at the sudden appearance of Shuten and the sudden disappearance of both him and Kima. None of them noticed that they were joined by another. Toshiro was standing over them as they looked up to see him. He seemed to be questioning them before he even opened his mouth.

"Where's Kima?"

Sage shifted a bit uneasily as he was thinking of an answer. "Well, you see…"

"She disappeared with Shuten." Kento blurted, becoming nervous under his gaze.

"Shuten?" Toshiro asked, cocking a white eyebrow. "Who's Shuten?"

"You know." Rowen began. "Anubis?"

The captain took a step closer either more interested or more confused. "She disappeared with a ghost?"

"Not quite. He had one of those things you and Renji have. What do you call it? A gigai?" Ryo offered.

"He's been to see Urahara then. He must've been developing it for a while. It'll have to be untraceable if it's from Urahara. He'll be in even more trouble."

Cye gave him an uncertain look. "What do you mean he'll be in trouble?"

"Urahara Kisuke was once the captain of division twelve. He began conducting experiments that were a bit…unorthodox. He created something called the hogyoku. It allows a shinigami to have the powers of a Hollow or a Hollow to have the powers of a shinigami. That wasn't what got him banished. He was banished for creating the first untraceable gigai. It wasn't just that. The gigai had the ability to turn the soul reaper who has hidden in it into a human. The Central 46 decided that it was too dangerous and kept the only copy of the records with them in their headquarters. When Aizen slaughtered the Central 46 and took refuge in their headquarters, he was able to find the records and took the hokyouku that was hidden in the body of Kuchiki Rukia. The rest you know."

"Toshiro, have you been dealing with this man long?" Ryo asked quietly.

Toshiro nodded his head once. "We've been searching for a way to find him for months. So far, there's been no way to make it into Hueco Mundo. Since the Dynasty gates have appeared, we're beginning to think that perhaps we can get into Hueco Mundo from there."

"Do you think you'll ever catch him?" Sage asked, momentarily sweeping his hair out of his eyes.

"Aizen will make his move eventually. His betrayal to the Soul Society and his fellow shinigami was all part of his plan. Since the hokyouku is in his possession, he could be creating an army for all we know. His coup de tat is far from over. It's only a matter of when he decides to put his plan in motion." The captain explained.

The group sat in silence as this information took root in their minds. Their enemy was a dangerous one. Aizen wasn't just someone who meant to destroy his enemies, he had well thought out plans to make the destruction all the more severe. Talpa wasn't nearly that bad. This battle would require all of their strength, brains, and power put together. Kima still held the last bit of their armors, so they were relying on her to at least survive her battle with Dais. Depending on how desperate the warlord of Illusion was, that could be a hard goal to achieve.

...

Sweat beaded on Kima's forehead, running down her face and covering her body. The images that had been implanted in her brain were far too graphic and gruesome to envision. Shuten was a sick man to give her the visions she had. Panting for breath, the blonde could still see the violence and destruction behind her eyelids as she closed them tightly. Some of them had to have been things that he'd seen before he'd joined Talpa. Others had occurred after he became a warlord. So many people had died. The annihilation of the village of the Ancients had been the worst. Women and children had been slaughtered to crush any future opposition.

Shuten was now sitting in front of her, watching her carefully. His expression was carefully blank. He'd been sitting that way for quite some time as he'd watched her suffer from his induced visions. The Ancient hadn't even stirred from his current position.

"You're never going to survive another mental attack from Dais if you can't stand what I'm sending you. You weren't able to fend off a single one."

"Forgive me if my meditation skills are lacking." Kima snapped. "I'm kind of focused on the physical aspect of this battle."

"Don't be discouraged, Destroyer. I'll be here for quite some time so that we may strengthen your weakness. I'll be working with the other Ronins too." Shuten informed her.

Kima took a deep breath as she opened her eyes to meet his gaze. "So you think he'll be attacking them as well."

Shuten nodded. "I don't have a doubt. Dais will torture them as well as a way to anger you. He's been wanting this for a long time, Kima. He's not going to hold back this time. He has no need for inhibitions. The battle will be one of malice and hate."

"I had a feeling that you'd say that." Kima said, clenching her fists as she brought her fingertips to the white scar tissue on her face. "Believe me, Shuten. I don't have a problem with that. You don't know how long I've wanted to kill him. I can't forgive him for what he did. The scar he left on me runs deeper than you know."

"I'm beginning to sense that." Shuten sighed. "You can't let your hatred for him take over your senses. It will you do you no good to charge blindly into battle."

The blonde met his gaze once again; this time her eyes hardened. "I won't lose my head in this battle. I want to put that bastard in his place once and for all. I'll make him feel the pain that I felt."

The Ancient shook his head. "I have nothing else to go over with you today. Head back to the house. I'm going to meditate a while longer."

As he watched her rise and leave the alcove, he followed her to the edge of the waterfall. He saw a dot of white coming through the trees that quickly turned into the form of the captain of the tenth division. A devious smile played on his lips as he saw them meet and their hands immediately joined before they headed back towards Mia's house. Shuten somehow knew that things would turn out like that.

...

The sun was beating down on the training mats as the orange-headed female sighed and sunk to the ground. Her companion was not too far away practicing his archery. The others had left to take care of other tasks. Inoue blinked as she watched the dark-haired young man adjust his glasses and prepare to make another shot.

"Ne, Ishida-kun, the people here are strange, aren't they?"

The young man turned around to look at her. "Why do you say that, Inoue-san?"

"I've just never met anyone like them." She replied. "The whole thing of armors is confusing."

"They were chosen, Inoue, just like we were to have the abilities that we do. I think their job is a little bit more difficult though."

Inoue nodded. "Hagashi-san came to me the first time we met. Actually, Hitsugaya-san brought her. She was hurt badly and Urahara-san called on me to heal her. She'd been in a fight with Zaraki-san that ended badly. I have a feeling that more people are going to get hurt."

Ishida lowered his bow as he saw her lower her head and draw her knees to her chest. "Sometimes things like this happen, Inoue. If I've heard correctly, Hagashi-san is going to give her life to return the armors to the others. She doesn't expect to come back."

Tears began to fill her eyes as she looked to her friend. "I can't believe it. I've never been in a fight that we haven't walked away from, Ishida-kun. Of course Kurosaki-kun has been the one fighting most of the time. I hope my healing abilities will be useful."

The Quincy sighed as he approached her, taking a seat on the grass next to her. "You will be useful, Inoue." He said, placing his hand on hers. "Everything will turn out like it should. You'll see."

A small smile set itself on Inoue's lips as she turned her gaze to Ishida. "Arigatou, Ishida-kun. I needed to hear that. As long as I have you around, you'll take care of me, won't you?"

Ishida's cheeks turned pink as he began to stutter. "O-of course I'll take care of you. I'm going to keep you safe and sound. We'll be fine, I promise."

"Arigatou, Ishida-kun." She replied with a smile. "I'm lucky to have you as my friend."

"I'm lucky to have you as my friend too, Inoue. It wouldn't be the same without you."

"How cute. Are you two going to exchange vows next?" came an obnoxious voice from behind.

Ishida glared. "Urusai, Kurosaki. You're so immature."

The look that placed itself on his face showed that he was not amused. Ichigo cocked his head to the side and quirked an eyebrow. "Geez, you're so uptight Ishida. Take it easy, would you? You're starting to sound like Toshiro."

"Hitsugaya." Both he and Inoue chorused.

"Whatever." Ichigo said in a bored manner. "At least I don't look pissed off all the time."

Ishida rolled his eyes. "I do not look pissed off all the time. If anyone should be talking about that, it's you." He spat.

Inoue giggled as the two began bickering about who looked more angry all the time. She was sure that if Sado could be there, he'd say that they both looked equally angry. She really felt blessed to have as many friends as she did. They'd been through so much together and they'd go through even more before it was over.

Since meeting the Ronins, she discovered that they weren't the only ones who were "gifted" with special responsibilities. Inoue had gotten to know the women of the group quite well and they were nothing like the other girls and women she knew. Claudia was a strong but sad woman who worked hard to become stronger. She had a closeness to Renji that she'd never seen before…even with Ichigo and Rukia. Kayura was knowledgeable of the enemy and everything else. She knew tactics. She knew the background of the enemy. She knew everything it seemed. She even knew a frightful lot about the Ronins.

Kima was a different story. She was happy and normal enough around her friends, but when Inoue caught her by herself, she looked like Atlas holding the world on her back. She'd gotten some of the story from Renji, but he didn't go into too many details. There was a certain bond, Inoue noticed, between her and the captain of division ten. They didn't show it around one another, but she could tell that they loved each other. For some reason, the thought of this battle made her heart ache.

...

As the two of them were making their way through the trees, Toshiro tightened his grip on her hand. Kima didn't look so good after the training with Shuten. In fact, she looked pale and haggard. That made the captain worry. The blonde hadn't said much since they started back through the forest.

"How was your training?" he asked quietly, his eyes straight ahead.

"No fun." Kima replied. "Let's just say that I didn't do very well the first day."

Toshiro glanced over at her. "It wouldn't seem so. You look like you've been sick."

"I think I was a few times." She answered. "Some of those visions were very graphic."

The white-haired man nodded. "Something else seems to be bothering you. It's more than just the training."

Kima slowed her pace a bit, watching Toshiro slow his pace to match. "If Shuten has reappeared, then he's only here for one reason. He realizes that the final battle is coming and he wants to be sure that I'm ready. I'll fight Dais and return the armors so the guys can create the Inferno armor and end the battle. He knows that he only has to prepare me for the fight with Dais. I won't get further than that."

The captain came to a stop, pulling her to a stop. "You're starting to worry about this, aren't you? You wouldn't have said anything about it otherwise."

"You're right. I am worrying about it, Toshiro. I'm worried that I won't make it through this fight with Dais. Then I won't be able to give the guys their armors back and I'll fail everyone."

"You'll do no such thing. I've been training with you, so I know you've gotten stronger. Your training with Shuten will make you stronger as well. You'll be ready for Dais when the time comes." Toshiro told her, taking her face in his hands.

The blonde sighed as she rested her hands on top of his. "If you say I will be, then I will be. I just don't know how I'm going to get the guys to accept after this battle I'll be gone and I won't be coming back."

"They're your friends. They're not going to want to accept it." Toshiro said, resting his forehead on hers. "It'll be hard for them, but they're strong. They'll be okay. The only thing that matters is whether or not you've accepted it."

"I've already resigned myself, Toshiro. I'll be sent to Soul Society and everything will be fine. We'll get to see one another every day, won't we?"

"I'll probably be supervising the new students at the academy. It's my turn to help with them this time. You'll probably be in there with me." He explained. "That also means that you'll have to start from scratch."

Kima nodded before her eyes twitched in response to his final statement. "WHAT! I'll have to start all over?"

Her expression changed when she heard a laugh escape from him; probably the first she'd ever heard from him. He pressed his lips to hers in a passionate but chaste manner before pulling apart. His eyes locked with hers and the world seemed to fade away. Kima's eyes widened as she heard a voice whisper on the wind. Perhaps it was that she was so drawn into his gaze that she didn't hear him talking, but the message was clear.

"I love you, Kima. Knowing what's coming won't make it any easier to watch you die."

...

As they reached the porch, Kento was already grinning like a fool. That's when the teasing started as they made their way onto the porch. Claudia was curled up on Renji's lap as he sat on a wicker chair. The others were spread out over the wooden planks talking and waiting for Mia to finish up dinner. Ichigo and Ishida were still arguing as Inoue stared at them in an embarrassed manner, trying to stop them. Kento was ruffling Cye's hair playfully as they talked about old adventures. Rowen was going over strategies with Kayura and Yuroichi, who'd shown up per request of Urahara. Ryo and Sage were playing a game of chess.

Toshiro and Kima ascended the steps and took a seat next to Renji and Claudia. The brunette looked over at them and quirked an eyebrow. "Where have you two been? You've been gone a while and Toshiro, well, he just disappeared."

"I was doing some mental exercises. Toshiro came to find me."

"Uh huh." Renji said. "I don't think you're as innocent as you're trying to put off, but I'll buy it for now."

Toshiro shook his head as he stretched his arms over his head. "Believe what you want. Nothing happened. Our outings alone don't result in as much excitement as those that you and Claudia take."

The redhead's face matched his hair and Claudia was giggling. Kima gave a small smile as her gaze traveled around the porch. She'd miss all of this. There was no chance that she would ever be able to forget any of this. The screen door creaking open signified that Mia was coming out to fetch them for dinner. The older woman glanced at her and knew her thoughts in an instant. She greeted her sad smile with one of her own.

As she was about to call for them, her gaze shifted and her mouth hung open. Kima followed her gaze and sighed, shaking her head. Claudia had slid off of Renji's lap and was sitting on the boards, her mouth also hanging open. Shuten came walking up to the steps slowly, causing Kayura to rise slowly, a stony look on her face.

"It is my understanding that I have a great-great-grandchild here somewhere. Are you Claudia? I somehow pictured you to be shorter." He said, bowing to her. "Watashi wa Doji Shuten."

...

End Chapter.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Claudia stared at him in open mouthed surprise. The voice was different, but his face, his eyes, he was the spitting image of Dorian.

"I…" She swallowed thickly before shaking her head and fleeing the porch. It was too much and she wasn't ready for it. Renji was up in a second and going after her while the others just exchanged nervous glances with each other.

"You do look like Dorian," Mia said coolly, taking a deep breath and blowing it out in a huff. "Dinner's ready if you guys are hungry," She gave Shuten one sweeping look before she turned and headed back inside.

"Looks like you're getting the cold shoulder from the women in this wayward family," Kima muttered as she got up and followed after Mia. "Not the welcome you were hoping for?"

"I expected no less," Shuten admitted as he turned to watch Renji disappearing into the trees after Claudia. "She is troubled,"

"She's had a hard few weeks," Kento said defensively. "So leave her alone."

...

"Claudia," Renji sighed, tired of following her, and reached out to grab her arm. "Talk to me,"

"He's not allowed to do this! He's not allowed to just walk into my life looking like Dorian and expecting to be welcomed with open arms! It's not fair!"

Renji listened to her, his fingers wrapped loosely around both of her arms. There were tears in her eyes but he couldn't tell if she were hurt or angry or just plain frustrated.

"He looks just like Dorian," She murmured, glaring at his shirt. "When he walked up those steps I thought it was Dorian and I…Renji, I was scared to death. I didn't know what to do, I thought it was Dais messing with my head…I don't know what to do,"

Renji pulled her to his chest and sighed heavily. "It's not Dais. That is really your great grandfather and if he's here it's because time is almost up and we need all the help we can get. He used to have an armor, right? Kayura has it but she doesn't use it. She's known there was a possibility that he could come back to help us, especially when Toshiro and I showed up in gigais. He's here to help us, Claudia, and I don't think anyone knows Dais as well as Anubis does,"

Claudia nodded and wiped her eyes, trying to straighten up her face. "It just surprised me,"

"Yeah, I got that," Renji snorted as he wrapped an arm around her waist and steered her back towards the house. "Do me a favor, don't go running into the woods by yourself any more, even if you know I'm going to follow you,"

She didn't have to ask about the request, she already knew why it had been made. It had something to do with the illusion Dais had thrown up around him and while he refused to give her the details, she knew it was bad enough that he wouldn't be taking any chances.

Claudia frowned a little. Dais hadn't even attempted to get into her dreams, not once. He was leaving her alone and torturing everyone else. Why?

...

Even after their short talk, Claudia hadn't felt comfortable enough to sit with everyone at dinner and had wound up sitting on the balcony outside of her room, staring off into the horizon, her plate untouched next to her legs. She wasn't sure just how long she'd been sitting out there, the sun was long gone, but she couldn't hear Kento snoring yet so it obviously wasn't too late. Renji would have checked on her by now if it was too late.

Claudia sighed quietly and glanced down into the yard. He was there, standing just within her view, but he was facing into the woods, seemingly deep in thought when another form stopped a few feet behind him. Mia.

Claudia smiled a little as she watched Anubis turn around to face the woman, a small, unsure-but-game smile on his face. Had those two been romantic at one point? She couldn't hear the conversation, but it must have been going well because Mia was in his arms a second later. Claudia looked away, pressed her palms against the wood and rested her head back on the wall. Her thoughts roamed for a little while. She was still curious, and slightly worried, about the possible reason behind Dais' lack of mental attack on her. She had expected, next to Kima, to be one of the highest people on his list, but he hadn't done anything to her, not yet, and it was starting to bother her. Did he have something more severe planned for her? What was it and when would he put the plan into action.

Sighing quietly as she forced all those thoughts and questions aside. Her stomach was growling. She absentmindedly reached over to grab a piece of the cold chicken from her plate, only managing to get a bite of it before a sharp stinging sensation in her opposite hand made her gasp. A large black spider scurried away from her and she squealed in surprise, scrambling backwards along the balcony to get away from it when one of Whiteblaze's huge white paws squished the creepy crawly creature into the wood.

The squeal had caught both Mia and Anubis' attention and in a few seconds, the cavalry arrived on the balcony around her from several different directions.

"What is it?" Renji demanded as Claudia jumped to her feet and backed into his chest.

"S-spider!"

Whiteblaze lifted his giant paw while the group relaxed but Anubis growled nastily as he moved over to examine the dead creature.

"Illusion spider," He said ominously, looking up towards Claudia, his eyes wide in urgency. "Did it bite you?"

Claudia stared at him, too horrified to answer when a sudden wave of vertigo hit her and her legs became jelly.

"Claudia!" Renji gasped as he thrust his arms forward to catch her as she sank to the ground. He lifted her right wrist and held it up for Anubis to see. The top of her hand was adorned with two large, red and swollen bite marks. "You said illusion spider,"

"Dais," Anubis confirmed as he came forward and took Claudia's face in both of his hands. She was almost out of it completely, so he didn't have much time. "Claudia, hear me, none of what you will see from this very moment forward is real. It is all illusion created by Dais in your sickness. None of it is real. Do not believe what you see. Do you understand? None of it is real!"

Worried and anxious looks were exchanged throughout the group as Claudia's eyes rolled back and she went completely limp in Renji's arms.

"Get her inside, quickly!" Anubis commanded.

"Shuten-"

"Do not argue, Abarai-fukutaichou. Get her inside and into bed! We must combat the fever," He growled as he followed Renji into the bedroom and helped to get her lain out comfortably on the bed. Her body was trembling now and sweat began to bead her forehead as the poison from the illusion spider began to take full effect.

"What's happening to her?" Renji demanded as Anubis once again touched her face. When there was no answer, Renji got angry and grabbed the older man, pinning him to the wall in one quick, graceful movement that had both Ichigo and Toshiro trying to pull him back. "Tell me!"

"Renji, this isn't helping!" Ichigo insisted as he gave the man's arm a hard yank that only seemed to make him more furious.

"Stop!" Kima cried as she climbed onto the bed and sat protectively next to Claudia. "Guys, stop!"

"Tell me what's happening to her, Shuten, or so help me-"

"She was bitten by an illusion spider-"

"Yeah, we all got that part!" Renji spat, his fistful of Anubis' shirt becoming tighter. "What's happening to her now?"

Shuten growled and grabbed Renji's wrists tightly in his own hands. "She is slipping into the dream sleep, induced by the spider's venom. One of Dais' favored tricks. It will trap her in her dreams, but it will be so real to her that she won't even realize she's dreaming, so waking herself will never occur to her. She will be unable to fight him."

"Will it kill her?" Renji demanded, slamming Anubis into the wall again when the man didn't respond. "Will it kill her?"

Anubis nodded once, his face completely serious. "Yes."

Renji let him go and screamed in fury, making everyone in the room flinch a little.

"This guy is serious business," Ichigo muttered under his breath. "Wait a minute! Inoue? Inoue-san!" He turned around, frantically seeking his orange haired companion within the crowd and finally spotting her near the doorway looking scared and confused. He lurched forward and grabbed her arm, tugging her towards the bed. "Inoue-sama, see if you can use your healing power to help her,"

"That won't work," Anubis muttered as he walked towards the bed and placed his fingertips to Claudia's temples, his eyes sliding closed as he concentrated. "It's too late now. She's already within the illusion."

"What do we do?" Renji whispered, his hands braced on the bed, his head lowered to hide the pain and the fury showing on his face. "How do we help her?"

"We keep the fever from progression, slow the process," Anubis offered as he looked over to Mia. "We will need several cold compresses and ice,"

Mia nodded and ran out of the room, grabbing both Yulie and Uryu on her way into the hallway. Neither of them argued, they followed her obediently down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab as many cold compresses and as much ice as they possibly could.

"Yulie, get down to the freezer! There are several bottles of frozen water. That will help. Hurry!"

"I've got it!" Yulie squeaked as he dashed around the corner and vanished.

"Uryu, help me with this,"

"Of course," Uryu reached out and took the tray Mia held out and watched in amazement as the woman gathered all of the rags and soaked them in ice cold water, then dropped them onto the tray in stacks that would be easily accessed, then she moved on and emptied all of the ice from the fridge into a bucket. He was in awe of her quick reflexes and her calm demeanor.

"You've done this before,"

"No, not this, but I've had enough years with this group to know how to be prepared for anything," Mia admitted calmly. "But this specifically? No, I've never seen this. Dais has never actually gone to such lengths with us before. Yes, he's attacked us while we're awake, creating an illusion so elaborate that the guys turned on each other, thinking they were the enemy, and he's attacked us in nightmares, but never like this. This I'm not ready for. This I don't know how to deal with, so I'm using what I have and putting my faith in Shuten because he is ready for this. He knows Dais better than anyone, he's fought with him and against him and spent centuries with the man. So when Shuten tells me to jump, my ass is jumping,"

Uryu nodded hurriedly in understanding while Mia grabbed the bucket of ice and made for the stairs back to the room just as Yulie came bounding up from the basement with an armload of frozen water jugs and more ice. Uryu quickly followed and wasn't surprised to find the room even more sullen, the atmosphere more thick and tense than before. Kima was still at Claudia's side, Shuten's hand positioned at either side of Claudia's face once again. He was concentrating and Uryu wasn't sure if he ever wanted to know what Shuten could possibly be seeing.

Renji was sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed and he didn't look so good. Everyone was keeping their distance, but he had a feeling Renji wouldn't focus right if someone didn't say something to snap him out of that blind fury. Then he looked up at Uryu and the skinny little man froze in place. That look, the severity in those eyes, no wonder no one was going near him. He was liable to snap something, mainly limbs, if he were pushed too far. Did he care that much about the woman?

Uryu looked back towards the bed and swallowed thickly. Renji cared deeply for this woman and it wasn't the same bond he had with Rukia, no, because that was a brotherly bond, but this? No, this went much deeper and in no way resembled a sibling relationship. Besides, while Toshiro and Kima might not publicly share their attraction and affection for one another, Renji and Claudia didn't bother hiding it, so he'd seen enough of them in the last few days to know that there was nothing innocent in their relationship.

Shuten pulled back from Claudia, his face screwed up in anger a moment later and the entire room was quiet, everyone's eyes on his form.

"How bad?" Renji asked quietly without turning to see the look on Shuten's face. He didn't want to see it because he knew he wouldn't be able to stand it.

"Bad," Shuten admitted as he looked over to Kima and then at everyone else. "He's created a parallel world in her mind. It's…very elaborate. Very unpredictable."

"How do we stop him?"

Shuten sighed quietly as he looked back at Kima as she voiced the question. "Someone has to go in there after her and convince her that it isn't real,"

"I'll do it," Renji jumped up but Shuten shook his head fervently.

"No. It cannot be you. It cannot be any one of us. Dais will know you're there the second you arrive and that will be the end of it,"

"Then who the hell is supposed to save her?" Renji demanded.

"I'll go,"

Everyone in the room swiveled towards the balcony door and stared at the huge hulk of man standing there. They recognized him in a second. The build, the tattered robe and kimono, the wicked hair spikes and that arrogant smirk were hard to mistake.

"Zaraki-taichou," Renji whispered, completely surprised by his sudden appearance and his offer.

"This Dais character. He's never seen me before, so why should he suspect me of anything?" Kenpachi looked over at Shuten and was glad to see approval on the man's face. He agreed with Zaraki completely.

"You will have to meditate very strongly. Within that parallel world, you must change some things about your appearance or Dais will know you are a captain,"

"Easily done," Kenpachi said arrogantly as he came into the room and stood over the bed, looking down at Claudia's pale, fevered body. "Hitsugaya, I've left Yachiru posted at the gate in Toyama."

"I will check in with her shortly," Toshiro said curtly in response to Zaraki's unvoiced request.

"All right, Doji-san, what do I need to do?"

...

Claudia blinked, staring through the window, dazed and confused as she looked down at the busy London street.

"What the hell was I about to do?" She muttered, perplexed as she turned and faced the living room, her hands perched on her hips.

"What's the matter darling?" She blinked and looked over to the white leather couch and smiled a small, silly smile at the white haired man lounging there.

"My 'Can't Remember Shit' syndrome is kicking in again. I can't remember what the hell I was about to do," Claudia admitted as she walked around the side of the couch and plopped down onto it next to him, still perplexed by the fact that her mind was drawing a total blank.

"Chips?"

She blinked and looked over at the plate he was holding out towards her and chuckled as she took a few of the greasy fries and began munching on them.

"So strange. One minute I was getting ready to do something and the next I'm standing at the window like a bleedin' lunatic. I swear, Raj, you've got your hands full with me,"

"I think I can handle that," Raj smiled, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders as she lay back against his chest and stared up at the ceiling fan, smirking now.

"You know what's weird though, is I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong here,"

"You're being paranoid," Raj soothed as he set the plate of food aside and wrapped both of his arms around her now. "Is it going to be another one of those mornings?"

She giggled. "Yes, I guess so. I've gotta give you a hard time," Claudia sat up and left the couch quite suddenly, but she was still smiling.

"What?" Raj sat forward on the couch and studied the smile on her face, then got up and followed her backwards steps to the hallway. "Claudia, is your mind in the gutter again?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," She grinned as she reached out and took his tie in her hand, giving it one hard tug that brought him right to her. "What do you think?"

He grinned and pulled her close, showing her just what he thought about the idea. "I like the way your mind works. So much fun,"

...

"Dais can step in and out of the illusion at any time while Claudia will be stuck there," Shuten explained quite seriously. "You'll have the most luck getting through to her when he's not there. I would advise that you take that route, otherwise he may begin to suspect you. Remember, you must change your appearance or he'll know you're a soul reaper."

"Humph," Zaraki snorted as he sat on the floor next to the bed and crossed his legs.

"Time will pass quickly inside of that illusion. It will be as if days, weeks have gone by. You must convince her as quickly as possible," Shuten urged, his voice deadly serious. Renji's red eyes focused on Shuten's form and he growled.

"How long does she have?"

"The body only has 24 hours. We will stall its death for as long as we can," Shuten admitted, shaking his head. "Her soul will live forever in the illusion and she'll be trapped there permanently if the body dies. We'll save her in this world, you have to save her from the other, Zaraki,"

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the talk. I'm getting bored,"

Shuten frowned and nodded. "Then begin your mediation and I will connect your mind to the illusion. Remember, you must work as quickly as possible,"

...

It felt normal, and the body he had didn't feel anything like the gigai he'd been given upon his arrival from the Soul Society.

Kenpachi Zaraki looked down at his hands and examined them for a moment before he turned his smirk and his gaze to the busy streets around him. Shuten had been right, Dais had made sure he was as elaborate as possible, but even he could see gaps in this world's design. All he would have to do is point them out to Claudia, merely mention them, draw her attention to them, and that would be it. He would plant the seeds of doubt and let her take it from there.

She was a strong woman. All she really needed was a little nudge in the right direction. The problem would be figuring out when he could nudge her and when he couldn't. Of course, if he could get near enough to this Dais person to read his spirit energy, or get the feel of him, he might be able to determine when he was within the walls of the illusion and when he was out of it.

Kenpachi began walking down the sidewalk, well aware that he had no idea where he would end up, but sure that he'd eventually been turned in the right direction. There was only so far he could actually go.

He smirked a little as he wandered aimlessly for a few hours, finally spotting his targets just ahead of him. They had just stepped out of a café and were hand in hand, talking and heading straight for him. He took a half step to the right and walked casually forward, brushing shoulders with Dais as they passed, grunting a hurried apology as he continued walking. Dais barely acknowledged him, but that was fine. Zaraki had all he needed now.

Even though a second had been the exact measure of the contact, Kenpachi now knew the exact feel of Dais' spiritual power, or lack thereof really, and would know the moment he slipped outside of the walls of the illusion. Days seemed to pass before it happened, but when it finally did, Kenpachi found himself at the right place at the right time.

Claudia was sitting alone at a table outside of one of her favorite cafes when he found her. Smirking, he strolled right up to her.

"Claudia Preston?"

She blinked and set her coffee cup aside as she looked up at him. "Yes, that's me. I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Kenpachi was still smirking a little. "No, but I know your brother, Dorian. How is he?"

She stared at him, perplexed and confused for a moment. "I don't…Dorian?"

He nodded. "Yes, Dorian Preston. You're older brother. He and I are old friends,"

"Oh," Claudia looked absolutely baffled as she glanced down at the coffee mug she'd just set onto the table. Dorian! How had she forgotten Dorian? When she looked up again, the man was gone, but that overwhelming sensation that she'd forgotten one of the most important things in her life was still there.

Claudia reached up and swiped the locks of dark brown hair from her face and leaned back in her chair, truly disturbed.

"I'm going absolutely mad," She whispered as she dropped a few quid onto the table, grabbed her purse and headed back in the direction of the penthouse where she lived. Dorian? How the hell had she forgotten Dorian?

Kenpachi watched her progress very carefully over the next few days, avoiding further contact as it seemed that Dais had returned. Sure enough, he spotted them together again on the same street several days after his first encounter with her. Did she not notice all of the people around her were the same?

Shuten had told him to work as quickly as possible, but he had to be very careful that Dais didn't notice him until the last minute, otherwise he wouldn't accomplish what he'd set out to do. This was a very pathetic way for Claudia to die, and it wasn't at all what he'd envisioned for her. Such a strong woman with a strength he'd never imagined. They had fought and they had reached a stalemate. One couldn't defeat the other. He'd been intrigued by her, deeply impressed, and had wanted to help her achieve her bankai. But if she were stuck in this illusion, this parallel world, she'd lose all of it. All of that strength, the potential, the life he knew she loved more than anything.

The Soul Society wouldn't usually get involved with situations like this one, but the girl was a soul reaper by nature and would do the Soul Society a world of good after everything that had happened in the last several months. He'd been watching her training very carefully and fully anticipated that she'd gain the rank of captain in no time. He couldn't wait to fight her again, couldn't wait to fight _alongside_ of her.

That wouldn't happen if she were stuck in this world for much longer. With his resolve now fully set, Kenpachi strode out onto the pavement and stalked the couple. One way or another, she would see the truth of it.

...

"Mia, ice," Shuten murmured as his fingers glided over the bite wounds on Claudia's right hand. Heat radiated from the wound and as soon as he placed the ice on her hand, it melted, but he kept replacing it, unforgiving in his fight to keep her body alive.

And Toshiro was doing a world of good. The ice the man could produce at will was keeping Claudia's body temperature perfectly stable, with a few fluctuations here and there. Dais wouldn't notice the delay, wouldn't care in fact, since he knew just as well as Shuten that it didn't matter. Eventually the body would die and that would be the end of it.

Ichigo had finally been able to draw Renji out of the room to spar and burn off some of the fury he felt, and from what Shuten could feel filtering in from outside, it was a heated spar. He wouldn't be surprised if the two came back injured at this rate, but luckily, Inoue-san was at the ready for that. She couldn't help with Claudia, but she'd do Renji and Ichigo a world of good before it was over with.

Kima and Toshiro, as well as Mia and Kento, hadn't left the room since the whole ordeal started. Kento was more fond of Claudia than anyone had realized. Mia was there for support, Kima was there simply because she wasn't leaving a sister to die, and Toshiro was helping keep Claudia stable, while keeping a careful eye on Kima as well.

Twelve hours had passed already. There were only twelve left…

"What's taking him so long?" Kima demanded at last. "Shouldn't he have finished it by now?"

Shuten glanced down at Zaraki and wondered over the smirk playing on the man's face, but said nothing about it. True, he'd hoped Zaraki would move quicker, but then again it all depended on the amount of time Dais left Claudia alone in that bogus world he'd created for her.

"Do they know you're back? The warlords?"

Shuten looked over at Mia and smiled a little. "No, which gives us the advantage. If they do show up here, they're in for a nasty surprise," His dark brown eyes focused on Kayura who was now standing in the doorway. "I would take my armor back,"

She smiled at him and tossed a small dark orb towards him. He caught it in his free hand and nodded his thanks to her. The second it made contact with his skin, he felt its power radiating through him. It recognized its master.

"We women don't need mystical armor to kick ass," Kayura said matter-of-factly, grinning over at Kima. "You won't need it in the end, either, if you're to become a soul reaper like Claudia,"

Kima nodded, smiling, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She looked back down at Claudia and swallowed thickly. She could only imagine what Dais was doing…

...

Claudia stared at the building in front of her in utter confusion.

"It doesn't make sense to you, does it?"

She turned to look over her shoulder at the man, recognizing his stony face and the eye patch from a few days ago. He'd spoken to her about something…what was it?

"What doesn't make sense?" She questioned as she turned back towards the building.

"That you have the intention of going somewhere, and before you can get there, you forget and end up somewhere else with no idea how you got there or why you're there. Did you mention to Dorian that I said hello?"

"Dorian?"

"Your brother,"

Claudia sucked in a sharp breath, her lips parted in surprise. "Dorian, yes, sorry! I completely forgot…again…"

Kenpachi reached out and touched her shoulder tightly. "It doesn't make sense to you because there is no sense in it. There is no truth to this place. It isn't real,"

"What are you talking about?" Claudia turned to face him but he was already walking away.

"Give my regards to Renji," He called with a wave of his hand.

"To Renji?" Claudia muttered as she watched him disappear into the crowd. Who was Renji? Who was _he_ for that matter? And he was right, how had she ended up in front of this dinky old café when she'd intended a totally different destination. How had she even gotten to this street? Claudia's dark eyes narrowed as she looked around her, choosing a different direction and heading that way. Ten minutes later and she was back in front of the café again. "What the hell…?"

"I told you,"

She whirled around to face him, startled by his return. "What's going on? Who are you?"

He smirked and she recognized it. The look was familiar to her and in a second she was picturing him with spikes and wearing an entirely different attire. No suit and tie, but a dark kimono and white tattered robe.

"Zaraki-taichou," She whispered the name, confused, and gasped as a wave of dizziness hit her. He caught her with one arm, the movement so swift, so graceful, she hadn't noticed he'd moved until he was already holding her.

"Yes," He confirmed while she regained herself enough to stand upright again. She looked around at the emptying street. One by one, the people were vanishing from her vision, their faces replaced with others. "You've forgotten so many people, Claudia, so many places."

"Am I sick?" She asked, her voice small as she stared over his arm into the distance. "Is that why Raj is taking care of me? Am I sick? Am I dying?"

"Yes, you're sick and dying, but not in this fake little world. You can live if you leave this place,"

Claudia stepped away from him, shaking her head of the dizziness and the confusion. "I don't understand,"

"You're meant to be a soul reaper. You're meant to be great and strong. This world is hampering you, keeping you from that glorious future." Zaraki lowered his arm when he was sure she was properly balanced again, then turned away. "You don't believe me. Look around, Claudia. Try to go to the other places you love and see if you can make it there."

Claudia watched him walk away and swore that, faintly, she could hear tiny bells ringing. That sound was familiar, too, and then she saw the original image of him again. The bells were tied to the ends of those spiky locks of hair…

She turned swiftly, determined to get to the bookstore she loved so much, screaming in frustration as she ended up right back in front of that café. Zaraki didn't rejoin her this time, but she didn't need him to. She rushed back down the sidewalk to her penthouse, throwing herself up the endless flights of stairs and in through the main door. The commotion drew the attention of the white haired man in the kitchen and he leaned back over the counter to greet her as her purse went flying into the couch. The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a deep frown.

"Are you all right, Claudia?"

"I wanted to go to the bookstore," She growled as she looked over at him. "But I couldn't get there,"

"Were the streets too crowded? The gas prices have gotten a little high,"

"I couldn't get there because it wasn't there to get to!" Claudia snapped, frustrated. "Every time I tried, I ended up right back at that stupid little café! I really hate that café!"

"Claudia, are you having a fit? If you want that desperately to go there, I'll take you," He reached out for her and she jerked her hand away, staring at him and the eye patch on his face. That hadn't been there earlier…

"Dorian. I forgot Dorian. My own brother. I forgot him,"

"How do you think that? Sweetheart, we just had dinner with him and your mother last night,"

Claudia's eyes narrowed as she searched for that memory. It was there, but it was distorted, hazy. "No we didn't…"

"Claudia, what's wrong with you?"

She flinched at his touch, felt tainted by it. Her eyes focused on the floor as she tried to sort through the multitude of distorted memories in her mind. There were so many things there that she didn't remember, so many things that she didn't feel she'd ever experienced.

Then Zaraki's voice came back to her and there was an image of him lying on the ground in front of her, laughing in elation. More images came then, more dominantly being the image of a red haired tattooed…_soul reaper_…named…

"Renji!" Claudia gasped and shoved Dais away from her. "Renji! You…you made me forget Renji!"

Dais' eye narrowed as he stared at her. "Sweetheart, what are you talking about? Who is Renji?" He reached out and touched her arm and she saw the veil falling back over those images in her mind, vanishing completely, but she fought it this time. It was his touch that made her forget. It was him that made her forget…

"Raj…" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "No, not Rajura. Dais."

His fingers tightened around her arm. "You're mine, Claudia. Do you hear me? You're mine,"

...

"What's happening!" Kima suddenly gasped, drawing Shuten away from the window as Claudia's hands curled into fists in the mattress and she thrashed on the bed. He pinned her in a second, smiling a little as he felt the fever dropping drastically.

"Zaraki must have gotten her attention. She's fighting it," He slid one hand to her face and pressed his fingertips to her temple, closing his eyes and concentrating very carefully. "He won't let her go, but the illusion is falling down around them. She knows,"

"Toshiro, the disembodiment glove!" Yuroichi announced as she rushed into the room. "It will free her spirit soul and get her away from him,"

"Are you sure?" Toshiro and Shuten demanded at the same time. Yuroichi nodded hurriedly and watched as Toshiro pulled the glove on and strode quickly towards the bed. Zaraki's meditation was suddenly broken and he lurched to his feet, yanking Claudia's body upright and off the bed just as Toshiro's hand made contact. Zaraki laid the limp body back onto the bed as Claudia's soul reaper form flew out of it towards the other side of the room. She gasped in air and jumped to her feet, looking frantically around the room.

"You're safe!" Kima shouted as she rushed forward and wrapped her hands around Claudia's forearms. "Claudia! It's all right, you're safe. You're back!"

She gasped and fell back against the wall, wanting to yell but only managing a very furious and guttural sounding growl. Her head knocked back against the wall a few times while she tried to catch her breath and the look on her face couldn't be described as anything less than animalistic and wild. She was primed for a fight and not in the least bit happy.

"The body?"

"The venom is gone," Shuten confirmed as he turned towards Claudia and reached out to touch her arm, pulling away the last of the web of power that had been attached to her soul by the illusion spider. Once the last strands fell away, she finally managed a very feral, very resentful curse on Dais' very being.

The feel of her spiritual pressure had both Renji and Ichigo pushing their way through the balcony doors in a hurry. Renji looked a mess but that hardly mattered. Claudia went to him in an instant.

"You're all right?" Renji questioned as he examined every bit of her that he could see. "She's all right?"

"She's all right," Kima murmured as Renji pulled the woman into his arms and held on for dear life. When Kima reached out to her again, Renji snarled and took a step back. Kima just smiled and nodded. The others would be lucky if they got an inch closer to her than they already were. Renji wasn't ready to let her go.

"I imagine Dais will be pissed," Kayura muttered.

"Absolutely furious," Shuten added.

"Good," Kima muttered. "I want him good and pissed when I kick his balls up his throat,"

...

End Chapter.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"It's hard to imagine Dais letting this simply blow over." Kayura stated, shaking her head.

Kima clenched her fists as she turned to stare out the window. "He'll come. When he does, I'm going to murder him."

"Don't waste your time." Shuten told her. "He'll come after Claudia and probably Kenpachi. His focus will be on them."

"That might be true," Kima said, "but I'm going to keep him from getting to Claudia and Kenpachi won't bother with him either. I'll kill him."

No one bothered saying anything else to the blonde, for a look of malice twisted her features. Toshiro kept his eyes on her as she stared angrily out the window. Any confrontation between her and Dais would be bad. They'd be going for the throat. Killing was their main intent.

It was Ichigo that broke the tense silence that surrounded them. "Doji-san, you mentioned other warlords. We know Dais's abilities. What about the others? Some of us haven't fought them before."

Shuten rose from his seated position before attempting to answer the question. "I think it would be in our best interest if you knew, so I will tell you. The Ronin Warriors have become used to their attacks and will know what to expect from them. The warlords will also have their 'favorites', so to speak, to go after. Sekhmet is the warlord of Venom. His attribute is filial piety. He has two swords that drip poison. The effects increase the more the victim is cut. He uses an attack to confuse his opponent, much like a snake. The Snake Fang Strike is a visual trick akin to sleight of hand. It appears as if he has six arms and six blades when only two of them are real. Sekhmet will go after Cye most likely."

"Six arms; two of them are real. Gotcha." Ichigo commented. "Anything else?"

"Sekhmet's powers are not limited to cuts. He can poison water and the wildlife and nature around him. His poison is especially strong when he is angry."

Uryu adjusted his glasses as he focused on the Ancient. "What about the other one?"

"Cale the warlord of Darkness. His attribute is obedience. His abilities are just as his name says. Cale can bend the darkness to his will. By blocking out all form of light, there is no way for his opponent to see what's going on. Also, as in the instance with Hardrock, he could use his sword when it was separated from him. By plunging it into the rock where Kento slept, the sword would push deeper, only stopping when it found his heart. Had Sage and Mia not found him in time, Kento would've been killed."

"So Cale can manipulate darkness. Is that all we have to worry about from him?" Inoue asked.

Shuten shook his head. "As Sage could also tell you, Cale can manipulate the darkness of the heart as well. When he and Mia were rescuing Kento, the animals of the forests nearby attacked them. Normally docile creatures were turned into monsters. If Cale has that power over animals, he also has that power of humans as well. This Black Lightning Strike is not to be taken lightly. It is mostly easily outdone with the Halo's Lightning Strike. Sage will be his main target."

"So there is the possibility that Cale could attempt to turn us against one another?" Uryu asked, his expression severe.

"There is always that chance. Dais holds that power as well. Ask the Ronins about the illusion he created for them while they were awake. They were made to believe that whoever they saw was Dais himself. They fought one another, believing that they were fighting the warlord of Illusion. They figured out his illusion too late."

"We were young then." Kima said, the tone of her voice sounding angry even if it was kept level. "We were blind to his tricks and it was perhaps the first or second time we'd fought Dais as a team. He had his favorites to go after. Kento was one. I was the other one. I'm tired of his stupid games. This time, I will crush him like the spider he is. I will show him no mercy."

Shuten focused on this sudden swell in anger and spiritual pressure coming from the blonde. If he didn't know any better, he'd say this was the work of Cale. If that were the case, then all three of them were close. That meant that an attack was certain. He wouldn't say anything yet. Perhaps in the next few minutes when everyone was a bit calmer, he'd inform them that they were being watched.

...

Growling angrily, Dais clenched his fists tightly, digging his fingernails into the palm of his hand. How were they able to destroy his web? He thought his deception had been perfectly woven. How had they figured him out? Kayura wouldn't have been that knowledgeable about his techniques even though they had worked closely together for a while. Perhaps one of the shinigami knew something? No, that wasn't even a possibility. They were fools.

Cale approached him, a grin on his face as he placed his hand on his shoulder. "Things didn't go quite as planned, did they Dais?"

"How could you ever tell that?" the warlord of Illusion asked in return, rolling his eyes.

"Never fear," Sekhmet said from the shadows not too far off, "we shall retaliate against those fools and crush them like so many insects."

Dais smiled at this. "We will have our revenge. You are twisting a darkened heart, are you not, Cale?"

"That of the Destroyer. You should have fun with this fight."

"Yes, and the master has shielded our presence from the shinigami." Sekhmet said, a nasty grin covering his face.

An evil grin also spread across Dais's face. "We'll have fun with this fight. Spill all the blood that you can. When the sun rises, the sky will be red."

...

The night had dwindled away quickly as the occupants of the house sat up waiting for the attack that Shuten had suspected. Each of them was on edge and sleep was far from their minds. Kima had been fuming the entire time, like a shadow had passed over her. Toshiro could see the dark aura around her and suspected that Shuten could see it as well. Mia's living room was crowded as the lot of them sat around with mugs of coffee.

"Knowing those three, they'll probably wait until they think we're worn down from exhaustion." Ryo commented, taking another sip of his coffee. A pained look crossed his face as he saw Mia huddle against Shuten, but it was better that she was happy.

Sage nodded. "I already sense the spell that Cale has put on Kima. If they're going to attack, they'll do it soon."

"Then what are they doing?" Claudia growled.

"They're most likely waiting for Cale's spell to take full effect." Kima spat. "He's twisting my anger so that when a fight does break out, I won't hold back. The after effects will stay with me for a while."

"Control it, Kima. I know you're stronger than this." Cye said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The blonde shrugged her shoulder away, glaring at him nastily. "Maybe I don't want to control it." She snapped. "Maybe I want to tear Dais apart. I won't deny that I hate him. Not anymore. I want to destroy him."

"You have to keep your head, Kima, or you'll lose it." Toshiro said, looking at her intently. "If they kill you before you complete the transfer to the Ronins, they'll never get their armors back."

Kima looked away, lowering her gaze. "I understand that. I won't die. Eventually, but not now. I still have too much to do before the final transfer. I will give Dais some wounds he won't forget."

"Then give them to me now!"

The armored figure of Dais came crashing through the window, showering glass all over the place as he moved straight to Kima. His fingers clutched her throat as she gave a startled cry. The warlord of Illusion yanked her out through the broken window, cutting her arms and legs as he did so. Throwing her to the ground, he stood over her. Once she'd recovered her bearings a bit, her face twisted in rage.

_If there was a single day I could live…_

_A single breath I could take_

_I'd trade all the others away_

The increase of spiritual pressure was ridiculous as Kima rose to her feet, her body rigid. Her armor was on her without even being called. Dais's expression changed to one of pleasure as her sickles materialized in her hands. He'd been wanting a fight with her. Now he was going to get it.

"You couldn't just wait, could you?" she spat.

"It was you who couldn't wait. I could feel your hate like it was some kind of animal attacking, Destroyer. You wanted this confrontation."

Kima sneered as she set her feet in position. "It wasn't just me who wanted this, Dais. You've apparently been thinking about this for a while. What was with the dreams? Were you afraid to attack head on like you just did?"

"Hardly." The warlord snorted. "I wanted to weaken you just enough so that I could have the edge. That's all."

"You're a coward. You always have been; hiding behind your web of lies. Today it's catching up to you."

The Ronins were the first to make it out the front door. The others followed close behind but it was too late by then. The fighting had already started and they knew that there was no way to stop it. The battle that took place before them was one that had been waiting to happen for years.

_The blood's on the wall, so you might as well just admit it_

_And bleach out the stains, commit to forgetting it_

_You're better off empty and blank_

_Then left with a single pathetic trace of this_

The grinding of steel against steel rang through the air as the two opponents matched one another's blow for blow. Locked in a ferocious and lethal dance, Dais and Kima were using their anger to power movements. The others were soon kept busy as Cale and Sekhmet joined in the fray. The white-haired warlord grinned as he saw the sweat dripping into his opponent's eyes. It wouldn't take long for her to wear down.

"Why don't you just give up? This would be much easier for my master if you did."

"I don't think so." Kima growled as she pushed back on his morning star with her own weapons. "I won't give you the satisfaction of winning."

"Who said anything about the winning? I want to see your body hanging from my blades. I want to see your blood spilled on the ground in front of me. I want to see you dead." Dais hissed as he pushed against her with all of his weight.

He'd spotted Claudia a few minutes earlier, but she hadn't given him a second glance. Dais gave an inner laugh as he finally pushed Kima away from him and a little further away from the group. Claudia could ignore him if she wished, but he was going to slay the woman she'd grown close to. That would serve her for breaking out of his illusion.

Dais lunged at Kima as she leapt into the air to avoid the attack. The white-haired warlord jumped to follow her, the blades of their weapons meeting once again. Neither of the two was giving an inch and from Toshiro's perspective, the fight was getting worse. They really were trying to kill each other.

_Smother another failure, lay this to rest_

_Console yourself, you're better alone_

_Destroy yourself, see who gives a fuck_

_Absorb yourself, you're better alone_

_Destroy yourself_

Youja had also begun to fill the yard as the other warlords attacked. The Ronins had called on their sub armors and the shinigami shed their gigais. There was mass chaos as Mia and Yulie stood behind Shuten, who seemed to have gone unnoticed. The brunette gripped the young man close to her in a protective manner as Shuten glanced back of her shoulder at her.

"They need my help, Mia."

"I understand." Was all she said.

Shuten dawned his sub armor and leapt into the fray in a matter of moments. Mia looked on as she bit her bottom lip, refusing to let the tears fall that had gathered in her eyes. This scene looked so familiar. Kima was once again fighting Dais to the death. The Ronins were fighting youja and the warlords. When did the fighting stop? Yulie looked up at her with concern.

"It'll be okay, Mia. The guys know what they're doing. It'll take more than warlords to get rid of them."

He still sounded like the little boy he had been in her ears, but she just nodded, her eyes not leaving the battle taking place in her front yard. Kima and Dais seemed to be going at it full tilt and nonstop. It was as if they were transporting around the yard they were moving so fast. What had Toshiro called it when they moved that fast? Shunpo? Where had she learned that?

Toshiro was also watching her quite carefully. Both of them seemed to be so absorbed in their battle that they didn't notice the injuries they'd acquired. There was blood dripped across the grass like paint on a large canvas. The captain disposed of his youja and stood there, awestruck by the titanic battle that was taking place. Was this the power of the hate and loathing that Kima kept locked away? Cale had brought this out? Looking at the blonde fighting the way that she was now, she was no better than a hollow. Even Kenpachi would've had a run for his money when she was in this state. Her spiritual pressure had become massive and was only growing. He winced as they moved past him quickly, a thin line of blood appearing on his cheekbone and snaking its way down. Toshiro had either been caught by someone's blade or Kima's spiritual pressure had built up so much that it was lashing out at any passing target.

_I'll chain you to the truth for the truth shall set you free_

_I'll turn the screws of vengeance and bury you with honesty_

_I'll make all your dreams come to life,_

_Then slay them as quickly as they came_

"What was it you said, Dais? 'Once you drink in the madness all else will vanish'? Is this enough madness for you?" Kima asked, knocking his helmet off with one of her sickles.

Once he'd righted himself, a nasty grin twisted his lips as he punched her in the jaw. "I think I could do with a little more before it's done. I'm the warlord of Illusion, Destroyer, I could live in a world made completely of madness. You could accomplish so much more by joining my master. You could be the warlord of Destruction and we could be the four horsemen of the apocalypse."

Kima slung her helmet off, which seemed to be inhibiting her. She kicked Dais in the stomach before answering him. "I don't think so. I've got enough to worry about without being one of your four horsemen. Believe me, this spiritual pressure thing has got me all confused."

There was no more talk as their weapons were raised once again. Everyone seemed to halt as the sound of a blade making contact with flesh froze everything. All eyes were on the two as blood began to gush, covering the armor of its bearer.

_Smother another failure, lay this to rest_

_Console yourself, you're better alone_

_Destroy yourself, see who gives a fuck_

_Absorb yourself, you're better alone_

_Destroy yourself, see who gives a fuck_

_See who gives a fuck_

_See who gives a fuck_

_See who gives a fuck_

_Failure_

The fighting seemed to stop momentarily as everyone seemed to become interested in who'd been wounded. Kima was gritting her teeth as the vermillion liquid covered the left side of her face. Dais's mourning star had cut across the scar tissue that crossed over her left eye. She had slumped a bit, her left eye squeezed closed as she looked at Dais.

The warlord of Illusion did not come away unscathed. A large slice ran from the outer corner of his right eyebrow, across the bridge of his nose, ending at his jaw, covering most of his face with crimson. Dais raised his arm, laughing in a crazed manner, as Kima collapsed to her knees from exhaustion. He was going to deal the final blow if it killed him. One noise and one noise alone stopped him from cleaving the blonde's head open.

"Quake with Fear!"

_If there was a single day I could live…_

_If there was a single breath I could take_

_I'd trade all the others away_

Dais glared down at them as he was trapped by Shuten's chains. That's when the crazed laugh rolled off his lips. It kept coming from the depths of his being like it was a natural sound for him. Claudia looked away as the other warlords had disappeared and the youja had been slain. Renji glared up at the man as he wrapped his arms around the brunette.

"I almost had you, Destroyer. If your secret weapon hadn't interfered, I'd have sent you to the Netherworld. I'd have made sure you went to hell, Kima. That's nothing less than you deserve."

The blonde gazed up at him as she had Kento's help to stand. She had one arm draped over his shoulder as he held on to her wrist while his other hand rested on her lower back to keep her balance. She spit some of the blood at him that had worked its way into her mouth. "Fuck you, Dais. Maybe I do belong in hell. I'm sure the battle will be epic once we both get there. The Dark One will have a field day with us there."

The crazed laughter started again as he looked down at her. "I almost had it this time. I almost had that left eye. When I kill you, I might just take it with me."

The laughing continued as Shuten released him and he disappeared. His laughter still echoed through the trees, giving Kima a chill. Toshiro moved to take her from Kento, but he was shrugged off quickly as Kima rolled her neck and moved toward the house. A frown graced his face as he watched her.

"You should really let Inoue help with that. You were banged up pretty badly."

Kima turned to look at him. The sight of blood all over her face made him want to shiver. "I'll take care of it the way I did before. Ointment and bandages. Healing it with spiritual power isn't going to get rid of the scar."

As if on cue, Mia released Yulie as she flashed a look of worry to Toshiro and headed in the house after the blonde. It wouldn't be as bad this time, but the first time she'd treated Kima's eye, she and three of the boys had been stuck in the Dynasty dungeons for days. The wound had been infected when she finally got to it and God knew that she was lucky she didn't lose her eye. Claudia moved quickly after the two and followed Mia upstairs as she grabbed the first aid kit.

Kima was sitting on the bed, free of her armor, as Mia began to clean the wound. She hissed as the peroxide began to foam. "You know," she started, her voice wavering in the slightest bit, "this fight tonight has made me realize one thing."

"What's that?" Claudia asked quietly.

"I realized that maybe I'm not as ready to go as I think I am." She replied, tears mixing in with the blood on her face. "There's so much still here that I don't want to lose; that I don't want to go away from."

"Your friends are here with you until the end, Kima." Mia said, her expression softening. "Your family would be too if they were informed."

Claudia cocked her head to the side, interested. "Your family?"

"Yes. My mother who lives in Sendai with my two siblings. My older brother, Tomahomei, is one of the chairmen of the bank there. He's the only one that knew about my armor and he didn't believe that I should've gotten involved with the supernatural. My younger sister, Mimari, is four years younger than me and will most likely be starting at a university soon. She wants to be a nurse." Kima explained.

"What about your father?" Claudia asked, aware that the two shinigami were out on the balcony just out of sight.

Kima's expression darkened as Mia began to stitch her wound. "My father was a tank operator in the Japanese army. He'd just been promoted when the Dynasty attacked. The army was sent into Tokyo to stop the Dynasty, but he was killed when Talpa turned their own weapons against them. They didn't stand a chance. I took the armor as a chance to avenge his death."

"Have you talked to your family lately?" Mia asked.

The blonde shook her head. "I've talked to my mother within the last six months. I haven't spoken to my brother in years. He refused to have any dealings with me." A sad smile came over her face. "I'm sure it wouldn't make any difference to him whether I died or not."

"Don't say that, Kima!" Mia exclaimed. "I'm sure your brother loves you very much. You're family probably misses you terribly. Why do you avoid them?"

"I don't want to cause them pain." Kima stated simply. "My death will hurt them and I don't wish that. It's hard enough for me to accept." She said, tears flowing once again. "I don't want to see the look on my mother's face when I tell her she's going to lose someone else important to her."

Mia finished stitching up the wound as she wiped the blood from Kima's face, pulling the younger woman into her embrace as she sobbed. "It's okay, hon. I know you're scared. It would scare any of us to know we're going to lay down our lives. You don't have to be so proud and brave all the time."

Kima couldn't even speak between sobs, so it took her a few minutes to form her next sentence. "I'm the Destroyer. I'm not supposed to be scared. My friends are too important to me to be selfish and keep my life, but I don't want to go."

"Destroyer was just a name that Shuten gave you. You don't have to live up to it. It's human to feel fear and I know you don't want to go." Mia said, pulling the blonde to her like a child. "We don't want you to go either. This will hit the guys the hardest. You've known each other forever. Cye will have a really hard time with losing you, but they'll all go on. They'll never forget you, but they'll be okay. I'll make sure of that."

"Can you guys do me a favor?" Kima asked, not raising her eyes.

"Anything." Claudia said, wiping her eyes quickly.

"Don't tell my mom I passed. She would die of a broken heart. I couldn't do that to her again. Please don't?"

"We promise." Claudia said, moving to hug the woman as well.

Toshiro watched from the balcony as Kima broke before his eyes. He knew it would happen eventually and it happened later than he thought. The white-haired man stared at her through hollow eyes of ice as he stood there, every muscle in his body slack. He would go to her later, when she was alone. If there was any time that she needed him the most, it was now. Toshiro knew now that he loved that woman more than his own life and would gladly sacrifice himself for her if he could. Touching the side of his face, there was a frozen trail on the surface of his skin. Had it been a tear?

...

End Chapter.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The sudden explosion of glass startled Claudia more than his voice as it rang out in the room, but before she could properly react, he was ripping Kima out through the shattered window and tossing her out into the yard. There was a flurry of movement from the Ronins who donned their sub armors and dashed out through the door, but she was frozen in place, partly because Renji still hadn't let her go. She was lucky she'd been allowed to walk down the stairs on her own two feet.

And then it really hit her. It must have hit Renji, too, because he finally let her go long enough to knock her out of her body and dispose of his own gigai. This was it. They were out of time. There would be no more training, no time for further preparation. It was happening now.

Renji was through the door half a second before she was, and they broke into the fray. The warlords were all present, but what really surprised her were the throngs of mindless nether soldiers that were flooding towards them from the trees.

"The gate's opened!" Renji called as he drew Zabimaru and grinned over at Claudia. Something about that look thrilled her and she grinned right back. "You ready?"

She reached back and grabbed the hilt of her own zanpakuto, elated by the feel of its power in her hand.

"They're not very strong,"

"No," Renji agreed, smirking as he tipped his thumb in the direction of the oncoming flow. "Ladies first?"

"Oh, Renji, you're ever so polite," Claudia grinned as she turned towards the soldiers. "But how about we go together?"

If it were possible, Renji's grin warmed and got a little bit wider. The thrill of battle absolutely sang to him, and she was surprised to find that it filled her with that same song. They ran headlong into the throng of soldiers, Ichigo right behind them. They took out fourteen between the three of them right off the bat, and watched, only for a moment, as the smoke rose from the empty armors and evaporated into the air. In that brief moment, Claudia saw the battle between Dais and Kima as they flashed passed, and she was stunned by the wild look in her friend's eyes, and the even more sinister and mad look in Dais'. She didn't recognize either one of them.

War changes people, she knew that, but she also knew that Cale was mostly to blame for that wild eyed look her best friend had. And Dais…

Claudia whirled around, raised Sarubimaru into the air and took out five more youja with one swipe, while Renji whipped Zabimaru all the way back to the trees. Ichigo leapt into the air above a circle of youja that had tried to surround him, then used his flash step to turn the circle onto them. They didn't see anything as he took them out.

Claudia and Renji jumped back from a new throng as ice raged through the seething soldiers and devoured the last of them. Claudia huffed a little as she looked down the yard to see Toshiro at the far end where the ice began, a small red cut on his left cheek. His eyes were frozen depths of ice. She could see the cold fury in them and swallowed thickly. She'd never seen that look before. Was Kima all right?

Claudia took a step towards Renji and froze. Darkness surrounded her, enveloped her tightly. She couldn't see anything, not even the ice in Toshiro's eyes. Meaning only one thing; Cale.

"Well, aren't you clever," She muttered as she stood there, Sarubimaru clutched tightly in her right hand. She couldn't see, but she could still hear, could still feel the air around her.

"Claudia? Claudia! Dammit!" Renji's infuriated voice reached her and she closed her eyes, standing completely straight and relaxed.

"Sounds like your lover is a little mad at me," Cale's voice was so close to her ear, but he wasn't anywhere near her. She'd know the second he got too close. "How do you like my little cage? I can see you, but you can't see me,"

"Not yet," Claudia said simply as she pivoted to face the direction of his voice. With her eyes still closed, she lifted Sarubimaru straight into the air above her head, her body still completely relaxed. Cale watched her with a smile, not in the least bit worried. Not until she opened her eyes and stared right at him. Then her body glowed as her spiritual pressure exploded, the light from it so intense that it swept away his darkness as if it didn't have any weight at all.

Cale frowned and leapt backwards from her, landing lightly several hundred meters further back than he had been.

"I guess I underestimated you," He smiled and lifted his blade. "This time I won't hold back. I'll drape a shroud of darkness over you so heavy you won't be able to draw breath,"

"Gallop, Sarubimaru," She breathed, her zanpakuto still raised above her head. The second blade slammed into the first, shot upwards and rotated at the very tip, then she tilted her arm back and slung it forward. The chain of her spiritual pressure stretched as the blade flew, no limitation on its length presenting itself. Cale dodged away, but she twitched her wrist and the blade followed him.

"Enough!" Cale growled as he leapt into the air and watched the blade fly back to its master. As Claudia reared back to attack again, he lifted his own blade. "I said enough! Black lightning flash!"

"Fool," The feral sounding growl sent a shiver of excitement down Renji's spine. She was so much stronger now, so fierce, so full of life and light that Cale's darkness didn't stand a chance. At least not when he didn't care enough to focus it. And her spiritual pressure…! Something in his chest seemed to purr in response to that power, even more so when her spiritual pressure touched his skin and danced there. It recognized the feel of him, reveled in it even, and danced along his skin, mingling and interlacing with his own spiritual pressure.

He grinned. "Hihio, Zabimaru," and he slung his arm back and forward, the segmented blades of his zanpakuto separating and extending outward, catching up to Sarubimaru to surround the dark warlord. Both blades twisted and wrapped Cale in a circle of power that ripped through him. He screamed and stumbled backwards several feet as the blades retracted and left him there. He bled all over, but his armor had absorbed and repelled a good portion of the spiritual pressure to keep the wounds from being fatal. But as he gazed back up at his two attackers, they were smiling. This pair, they were best defeated when they were separated. Together, they were just too strong. It didn't matter that the redhead wasn't quite as strong as Claudia, if they were separated in battle, it would be easier to defeat them both.

"You think you're so strong," Cale chuckled as he straightened himself and started walking towards them. "But you don't know the power of a warlord of darkness. You haven't even scratched the surface of my power!"

Sekhmet leapt up from somewhere nearby and landed next to Cale and suddenly, the Ronins were standing there with Ichigo, all primed and ready to continue the fight. The youja had been handled. All that remained were the warlords.

"Together, brother," Sekhmet said as he grabbed his blades and started spinning them in his hands.

"Yes, together," Cale agreed. They leapt at the same time, but never saw their intentions through.

"QUAKE WITH FEAR!"

The familiar cry followed by the painful onslaught from the warlord of cruelty's kusari-gama was enough to throw them to the ground. Both of them stared towards the dust that had risen with the attack, surprised by the man that commanded the armor. Anubis stood there, staring at all of them. That was it. They weren't prepared for this.

They vanished as Dais' manic laughter filled the air.

Renji's arms came around Claudia and they stared across the lawn towards the laughter. Kento had Kima, Shuten had Dais. It was the first time she really got a good look at his face. She couldn't stand it. She looked away.

Renji's hold on her tightened. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," She muttered as she ran for the door to follow Mia and Kima back inside the house. Dais was gone, thank God.

Renji and Ichigo exchanged looks for a moment as they walked towards Shuten and Kento. "Is he always this crazy?"

Shuten nodded a little as he vanished his armor and looked around the yard. Everything had vanished, leaving only carnage behind. Mia would have a hard time getting this yard back into presentable order, but they'd all help her when all was said and done. They always destroyed her property in some way, shape or form.

"Dais isn't immune to Cale's power," Shuten said quietly. "He, too, is infected by it. They're hatred for each other will be the end of the both of them," Shuten looked up towards the balcony where he could see the doors to Kima's room and frowned deeply. "Dais is beyond redemption now. His soul and his heart are too corrupted,"

Renji felt Toshiro next to him and turned to watch the Captain vanish and reappear on the balcony, and he quickly followed as Shuten moved towards the gathered Ronin's. Inoue was with them, healing their wounds and muttering encouragement while Rowen and Uryu admired their handy work. They'd partnered together against the youja and the warlords and had done quite a bit of damage to the swarm. Rowen had managed to summon his armor for a brief moment, but it hadn't lasted very long. Still, it meant that they were getting closer. As soon as they all had their armors back, things would become a lot easier.

Sage, Cye and Ryo were no worse for the wear after Inoue took care of them, and Kento was hardheaded, so nothing could really bring him down. They all looked around the yard and then grinned at each other.

"Just like old times," Kento bolstered as he reached out and clapped Cye's shoulder. "Man! That felt good to kick some youja ass!"

"Did you see the look on Cale's face?" Sage asked, smiling. "When Claudia picked his ass off the floor and handed it back to him,"

"She's something else," Kento chuckled, looking towards the house. "Did anyone notice Renji practically had a hard-on the entire time she was dominating Cale?"

Cye, Sage and Rowen groaned but Ryo and Shuten actually laughed at the declaration. Even Ichigo was grinning over the comment. Now he had something else to aggravate Renji with.

The sun was up at last and glimmered off the Ronin's sub armor brilliantly. The gate looming in the distant forest had never looked more threatening, especially not now that it was partially opened. A few more days, if they were lucky, before it would open completely. It didn't matter how many gates Aizen had thrown up all over the world, he only needed one open to win. The other gates were just there to take in the millions of people he would suck dry to power whatever he was trying to do.

"Let's get some grub," Kento said as he turned away from the gate to face the house again. "All that ass kicking made me hungry,"

...

It took Renji ten whole minutes to find Claudia after breakfast. She'd left the table and disappeared. He'd checked their room first but had come up empty, and she wasn't out on the balcony, at least not on that side of the house. He searched the rest of the house before he went back onto the balcony and followed it around to the side of the house. She was sitting at the very end of it, her back against the wall, her knees up and her head back.

She looked troubled and moody, so it was clear that something was bothering her.

"Hey you," He nudged her with his foot before he sat down next to her and followed her gaze out towards the mountain in the distance. "What's wrong, Claudia?"

"I thought I knew 'im," She whispered, and her voice broke a little. "When I looked at his face, when I heard that laugh… That wasn't Raj. Nothing of Raj was there, he's gone,"

"I don't think he ever really existed," Renji admitted as he reached up and pulled the bandana from his forehead to wring the sweat out of it. His hair was messy and several locks had come free of the tight ponytail to fall into his face. It was the only signs at all on his body that he'd been fighting today. Inoue had healed everything he'd suffered when he'd fought Ichigo before the fight.

"Probably not," Claudia shrugged and heaved a heavy sigh as Renji reached out and draped his huge arm over her shoulders. She shook her head and laughed as he brought her against his side. "Well aren't you just a big red cuddly bear,"

"Oh shut up," Renji grumbled as he draped the sweaty bandana over her face.

"Oh gross you freak!" Claudia cried and jumped away from him, tossing the nasty thing towards his grinning face. "You are so gross!"

Renji laughed up at her and she rolled her eyes. "As long as you're amused," She grabbed the railing and pulled herself up to sit on it so that she could watch him more carefully.

"Is Kima OK?"

Claudia looked away for a second and shrugged. "As OK as she can be, I guess. She's scared and she's not ready to die. She misses her family."

Renji nodded, frowning a little. "What about you? You haven't spoken to your mom again?"

"She's not my mother," Claudia snapped, regretting her tone. "I don't think she is anyway. At least, not my birth mother. Her maiden name isn't Doji. That was my aunt Meg's last name,"

"You're right," Shuten stepped out onto the balcony, still in his sub armor. "Your birth mother was Megumi Doji."

Claudia nodded, sighing heavily. "She always did take better care of Dorian and myself than my parents did. Why did she give us up?"

"To hide you from the Dynasty. Talpa had been trying to purge my bloodline for centuries once he was able to trace them to the shinigami,"

Renji snapped to attention. "Wait, what?"

Shuten nodded, smiling. "My father was a shinigami. Old Man Yama, as Captain Kyoraku calls him, would have known him. Why do you think he doesn't take any action against me for entering the Seireitei whenever I wish? A debt owed to my father," Shuten looked back at Claudia and smiled softly. "Megumi gave you up when you were just a baby in order to save you. Talpa thought you were dead,"

"And Dorian?"

"Until seven years ago, yes, he thought Dorian was dead, too,"

"Dorian knew the whole time. That's why he was so obsessed with the legends, that's why he came all this way to intern with Mia's grandfather,"

"Yes," Shuten admitted as he leaned against the wall to face her directly. "He came to Toyama to get the truth, to find out why Megumi gave you two up. She told him, when she died, exactly why she'd done it. Part of him believed her, but the other part didn't. So he came here to find out the truth."

Claudia swallowed thickly. "They said…they said Dorian had to connect with someone inside in order for Talpa to open the gates. Dorian went out there that day, he died that day. He connected with you,"

"Yes," Shuten whispered, frowning. "I'm sorry, Claudia. Dorian's death was only the first part of my punishment. Talpa still couldn't completely control me, so he sought to destroy me any way he could. I had to watch myself kill Dorian for him. I still see it. When I look at you, I see it," Shuten walked forward and cupped her face in his hands lovingly. "You look so much like your great grandmother. So much like her. You're strong like her,"

Claudia smiled a little and he removed his hands, stepping back.

"Dorian is in the Rukongai somewhere. I've been looking for him but I haven't found him yet. There are hundreds of districts to search and I've barely scratched the surface in the few years I've been able to search. But he's there. I witnessed his konso,"

"Who performed it?" Renji asked sharply. "We didn't have any shinigami around Toyama at the time because there wasn't any noticeable hollow activity,"

"That would be me,"

The group looked up at the voice and stared at the man crouched on the edge of the roof, grinning sheepishly down at them.

"Urahara," Renji muttered under his breath. "Dramatic entrance,"

"Not really. I've been here for several hours now. Watched the fight, pretty intense if you ask me," He lifted the white and green striped hat a little so he could get a better look at Claudia. "You're pretty intense, Miss Doji, if I do say so myself,"

"I'll take that as a compliment. You performed the konso for my brother?"

"Yup," Urahara slid down onto the balcony and smiled at her. "He was very eager to cross into the Soul Society, actually. He dug further into your family history than anyone thought. It wasn't hard to trace the Doji line once he knew it was his real last name. All the way back to Teijiro Doji, Shuten's father, who was a captain of one of the 13 court guard squads, secretly, of course." Urahara leaned against the railing of the balcony and looked down at Renji. "I imagine once you get there, Claudia, he might be a little easier to find. I suggested he try to get into the soul reaper academy, but I take it he hasn't done that yet,"

"No, not yet," Shuten confirmed. "He's not entered the Seireitei. My guess is that he's waiting for something. Yamamoto-taichou will be glad to have him join the ranks eventually, I'm sure,"

"He's a bit hotheaded," Urahara said thoughtfully and shook his head. "I'm sorry though. I wasn't able to stop the hollow before it took his body, and I couldn't stop the konso to keep the creature from going through the gate into the Dynasty. It was a bizarre scene to witness. I'd never seen anything like it before, but I didn't have time to wonder about it. I admit that I just assumed that someone, or something, within the Dynasty would have destroyed him so I didn't bother. I had no idea Aizen already had his hands in the cookie jar,"

Shuten nodded. "We felt a faint presence, but we weren't concerned. The nether world is vast, almost as large as the Soul Society,"

"Why can't we see it?" Claudia murmured. "If it's as big as you say-"

"It's another dimension basically. One second out of sync with the rest of the universe," Urahara said, smiling. "The perfect hiding place. The Dynasty, however, is shrouded in some powerful spells that keep it from entering this world. It's only when they manage to get a gate through the spell that you can see the palace. Odd that we can't see it yet,"

Shuten pondered that silently. Why hadn't the Dynasty appeared overhead? The gates were all around the world but… His eyes bulged and he stared across at Urahara who must have come to the same conclusion at the same exact time.

"All those people, all that power,"

Urahara nodded as Claudia and Renji looked between them, startled and confused.

"Half of the captains here, half in Seireitei," Urahara said pensively. "This was his plan,"

"Leave the Seireitei partially defended. The absence of half of that massive spiritual pressure would leave just enough room to raise a gate. That's why he's forced gates up all around the world and taken all of the people,"

"The Soul Society is easy to access. There are gates there now, but none within the Seireitei because of the seki seki wall and the bubble," Urahara's eyes narrowed. "He needs all that power to punch through. He's trying to raise a gate within the Seireitei itself. Renji-"

"Already gone!" He looked at Claudia and smiled before a set of sliding doors leading into the Soul Society appeared and he ran through them.

"He'll report this to the other captains so they might be better prepared,"

Shuten growled quietly as he turned to the horizon, stepped forward and gripped the railing tightly in his hands. "If he gets a gate through-"

"It'll always be there, deadlocked," Urahara finished, his voice thick with anger. "I have to hand it to Aizen; he's nothing if not thorough,"

"That gate will lead into the Dynasty, but there will be a gateway into Hueco Mundo inside,"

Urahara nodded, folding his arms over his chest. "Yachiru-fukutaichou," He tipped his head up as the pink haired lieutenant landed lightly on the railing with a sweet little giggle.

"Yes, Kisuke-sama?"

"Do us a favor and inform the captains stationed outside of the Soul Society of this news, okay?"

"Sure! I'll go tell Kenny first!" Yachiru grinned and leapt off the balcony, vanishing into the forest.

"How long has she been sitting up there?" Claudia asked as she looked up towards the roof where Yachiru had appeared.

"She's been here with me. Little darling got curious," Urahara said simply. "Zaraki-taichou will leave his post when she tells him the news. So will the other captains, but they won't return to the Seireitei unless by Old Man Yama's orders. Aizen's plan has already gone into effect, there's no stopping him now,"

"Do you think he'll be able to open that gate?"

"No," Urahara stated matter-of-factly. "He'll manage to get it into the Seireitei but the power that got it there will be drained completely. To open it would take more power. No, he won't be able to open it for quite some time,"

Shuten sighed quietly. "But opening it isn't the point. He doesn't need to open it right now. All he needed was to get it there,"

"Exactly," Urahara agreed. "And to eliminate the bigger threats to getting it there. Meaning the Ronins, the warlords and however many shinigami he can manage."

"The warlords, too?" Claudia asked, confused as she looked over at Urahara.

"Yeah, them, too. Aizen doesn't need them, and pitting them against you all makes for a big diversion. No one will be able to pay him any attention, at least we won't, while we're dealing with them. Nice bit of handy work on Cale, by the way,"

Claudia smiled and shook her head. "Kento and Sage both said it was the greatest thing they've seen in forever; the look on his face as I handed his ass to him." Claudia chuckled a little. "Of course Kento ruined it with an offhand comment about Renji having a hard-on over it, but yeah,"

Urahara raised a brow but was still grinning. The three were silent for a long while before Claudia hopped down from the railing.

"I'm going to go check on Kima," Claudia rounded the corner of the balcony and headed back to Kima's room, pausing in the doorway. Kima was lying on the bed on top of the blankets, fresh from a shower. Her hair was still wet and she was staring up at the ceiling blankly, her hands resting on her stomach. She looked thoughtful more than miserable.

"Hey,"

She looked over at Claudia and smiled grimly before pulling herself upright. "Hey. How was breakfast?"

"Long and uneventful," Claudia said as she came into the room and sat down on the bed. Kima studied her for a moment, wondering over the stiletto boots, the black skin tight pants and the black form fitting top.

"This isn't you, is it?" Kima murmured, smiling sadly.

"No, it isn't," Claudia admitted. "I'm not used to this settled down kind of life. Well, if you can call this a settled down life. Honestly, I'm a club going, drag yourself home at 4 in the morning just to sleep seven hours and get up and do it again type of girl. I didn't have any other clean clothes so here I am. I'll wash more when Mia's done with her load," Claudia pressed her palms into the mattress behind her and rolled her neck a little. "I do have to admit, this thing with Renji…"

Kima grinned. "You're loving it!"

"Loving _him_ more specifically," Claudia muttered then tensed. "Shit…"

"Busted," Kima chortled, scooting closer. "Come on, spill it. Are we talking a passing kind of lust-love combination or-"

"A pressing and unyielding kind of love," Claudia said dreamily, smiling. "Kind of like what you and Toshiro are experiencing."

Kima's eyes went wide and she shoved Claudia off the bed. "Out, out, out! And you keep it quiet about that!"

Claudia laughed as she was shooed back out onto the balcony while Kima stuck out her tongue and pulled the blinds across the French doors. She was still grinning as she walked into her own room. She walked towards the bed and stopped, staring at the shadow on the floor.

"I could have given you everything you ever wanted," Claudia stared over into Dais' face and frowned.

"No, you couldn't have," She said carefully, watching him as he stepped out of the shadows towards her. He wasn't wearing his armor, not even his sub armor, just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He looked so normal, so relaxed, so like the Raj she knew.

"You were happy in that illusion. You were happy with me. Even before all of this, you kept coming back to me. You looked for me every time you came to Japan. You always left subtle hints as to when you were coming, where you would be just so we could meet up. And then _he_ showed up and that changed,"

"No," Claudia muttered, glaring at him. "It wasn't Renji that changed it, Dais. It was the fact that you knew I was looking for my brother! You knew how messed up I was over it and you lied to me! When the truth finally came out, that's when it changed. Renji was just there to pick up the pieces," Claudia turned away from him and walked out onto the balcony. Was he really there or was this just an illusion he created from the protection of the trees?

He followed her, reaching out and wrapping his fingers around her arm, spinning her around and forcing himself on her. He kissed her, but she just stood there, still and angry and unaffected. She expected it to piss him off but when he stepped back from her, he looked…distraught. But it wasn't really him, it was another illusion. The feel of him on her skin was different than it was when it was really him there. Meaning he didn't want to risk Renji killing him when he walked in on this, which was bound to happen any second now.

"Raj…" She murmured quietly. "Why are you doing this? You could have stayed. Why did you go?"

"I'm weak," He admitted, reaching out and touching her face. "Like this I'm weak. And the Dynasty offers so much strength. I missed my brothers, I missed the power and the glory of battle." He smiled a little. "I need to know, Claudia,"

"I told you already. I can't be your redemption. I'm not waiting for you. I don't want you. I have Renji. That's all there is to it,"

Now the anger was on his face. "You think you're so much better now that you're with him. You were good with me, Claudia. I could offer you so much more than him,"

"All you can offer me is a life I'd hate,"

His eye narrowed and he fought a growl. "I will kill her,"

"Go ahead and try. I won't shed a tear when Hyorinmaru rips you apart," Claudia spat. The anger was gone again from his face and he nodded, taking a step back from her.

"Then I will not shed a tear for you when Cale seeks his vengeance. I was offering myself as your shield. I would never harm you, Claudia, but while I will not hurt you, I will not save you,"

"I have Renji,"

"So you've said," Dais vanished and Claudia swallowed thickly, turning towards the forest and glaring at the gate looming over the treetops.

A portal opened next to her and Renji stepped through, frozen in place by the furious look on her face.

"What is it?"

She shook her head and walked back into the room. "Nothing,"

...

End Chapter


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Once Claudia had left back through the balcony, Kima turned around to see the white-haired captain in the room with her. Toshiro seemed to be watching her carefully as she looked back at him with a look of fatigue. The long jagged wound over her left eye had become less angry and red as she saw him studying her. He looked, dare she say it, afraid. The blonde closed the distance between them and felt the captain coil his arms around her. His flesh almost felt a comfortable temperature to her. Perhaps she was getting used to the chill.

"You seemed a bit troubled. I know you're worrying about this final battle, but you don't have to hide it."

Kima pulled away from him, turning her back to him as she stared out the balcony door. "This fight between Dais and myself will be one to the finish. Like I've said before, the hate that is felt between the two of us has been festering like a sore. It's time to end it."

She felt the white-haired man snake his arms around her waist . Toshiro rested his chin on her shoulder as he felt her muscles go slack. He turned her around so he could see her face. His expression was stricken. Kima looked up at him, locking her eyes with his icy stare. The shinigami looked so…distraught. Toshiro pulled her close again, tightening his grip on her.

"You don't have to be proud and brave all the time. I'm strong, Kima, you can use my strength." he told her. "Please, let me help you." Toshiro begged, whispering into her ear. "Please."

His breath sent lightning up her spine and the sensation quickly spread. She pulled away from him enough to look into his icy eyes, seeing the emotion clearly displayed there. Kima didn't think she'd ever seen an emotion so clear on his face. Crashing her lips into his, her fingers moved nimbly to unbutton his shirt. The blonde ran her calloused fingers over his chest and abdomen. She was surprised that his body held no scars for being such a seasoned warrior.

Toshiro seemed to be enjoying this act as he'd tilted his head back and closed his eyes, exposing his neck. Kima gave a knowing smirk as she thought back on what she'd always been taught for the kill; go for the throat. Her teeth grazed the tender flesh, causing him to gasp in surprise. When the blonde finally pulled away, another look had entered his eyes altogether. It was his turn to move for the kill. In a matter of moments, Kima was on the bed and on her back as Toshiro claimed his territory for what would be the first and last time.

...

Downstairs, Ryo and the others sat around the table as Mia stood over the stove fixing them breakfast. They all had mugs of coffee as none of them looked remotely tired. Ryo's face held a severe expression as he looked around to his comrades. They all held similar looks.

"I know that we need Kima here to make this decision, but seeing as she's not here, we might as well discuss it." Ryo said, taking a sip of his coffee. "As we all know, this battle is coming to an end. We have two choices. We can choose to wait a few more days to allow Kima to heal before we head to the gate or we can choose to send her to Inoue-san and go to the gate within the hour."

"I say what are we waiting for?" Kento asked. "We need to hit 'em before they hit us. I'm looking forward to kicking some ass."

Rowen nodded in agreement. "I think the best move, tactically, would be to strike first. If we wait for Dais and the other warlords to attack, then we run the possibility of losing the element of surprise."

"We've pretty much decided then." Sage commented. "We have to wait for Kima to add her vote, but right now, it seems unanimous."

Mia was silently stirring her spatula around the skillet, staring blankly into space. It was as if her younger brothers were being sent off to war once again and this time she could lose them for good. She already knew one of them wouldn't be coming home. Kima would be lost in the battle. Yulie remained upstairs asleep. Ichigo and his friends were scattered about in the living room. Shuten had just entered the kitchen and sensed something wrong with her.

Cye finally spoke up as she had yet to speak. "What's wrong, love? You seem a little distant."

"You're going off into battle again. How am I supposed to feel? You're my brothers. I can't help but feel a little upset."

None of them could reply as Kima entered the kitchen in sleep wear and her hair free from its usual ponytail. Raking her fingers through her hair, the blonde pulled up a chair at the kitchen table as all eyes turned to her. A vacant look came over her as she blinked at the knowing look that Kento was giving her.

"What?"

Kento grinned at her. "You got laid."

Kima's cheeks turned red as her mouth opened in shock. "I don't know what you're talking about! It's hardly the time to think about relieving sexual tension, Kento. God, you're so immature."

"That doesn't seem to bother Claudia and Renji." he replied.

"A viable argument, Kima." Ryo commented, hiding his smile in his mug. "What does the jury think?"

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much." Sage said, grinning. "You're acting guilty."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kima said, looking away.

Rowen grinned as well. "The jury rests its case."

It was then that Toshiro chose to waltz into the kitchen and begin pouring himself a cup of coffee. Kento's jaw dropped at the sight. His black shirt was unbuttoned and left hanging open. The jeans he wore were riding lower on his hips than usual. The white shock of hair on his head was a bit messier than normal.

The captain looked over at the group before taking a sip of his coffee. "Just in case you were wondering, it was even better than it looks."

Kima flushed from head to toe before shaking her head and hiding her face in her hands. "I know you have more important things to discuss than my sex life. What's up?"

"All playing aside, we've pretty much decided without you, but you're free to choose." Ryo said, serious again. "We wait a few days for you to heal before we attack or you see Inoue-san and we leave within the hour."

The blonde nodded. "The first wasn't even an option. I'll go talk to Inoue-san."

The leader of the Ronin Warriors nodded. "We'll meet in the front in an hour."

...

Kima made her way down the front steps in her sub armor as the others waited for her in the yard. Mia, Shuten, and the shinigami watched from the porch. The blonde studied her teammates in their sub armors with expressions similar to hers.

"I don't mean to be infringing on Ryo's role as leader, but I just want to make a few things clear. The only one making a sacrifice today will be me. I don't want anyone trying to be a hero. Once I make the final transfer, nothing but sure kills, fellas. Even better, combine to make the Inferno armor. I don't want to see anymore friends in the afterlife."

Ryo seemed to nod in agreement. "Kima's right. No heroes. This gets finished tonight. Ronin Warriors, to arms!"

As if by Toshiro's unspoken command, the shinigami waited until they disappeared into the trees to follow. The Ronin Warriors, from the short time he'd been watching, were a compact unit. Even their movements showed the grace and agility of practiced teamwork as they leapt through the trees. The captain saw the Ronins come to a halt on the pavement before the gate.

A thick mist swirled over the ground as a thick laugh filled the air. Everyone was looking around wildly as Dais seemed to materialize out of the fog. He stood in a menacing stance, his face plate covering his face to hide his smirk.

"I'm impressed, Ronin Warriors. You came all this way just to die. Web of Deception!"

A giant spider web flew in all directions, suspending the Ronins above the ground and binding the shinigami in something stronger. The warlord of Illusion hung upside down, laughing to himself as he grabbed Kima's chin between his fingers. She attempted to jerk away, but couldn't.

Toshiro's gaze was fixed on them as he snarled. "Don't you touch her, you bastard."

Dais laughed as he cast a sidelong glance at the captain. "Don't you worry your little white head about it. You'll be dealt with soon enough." he said, turning his attention back to Kima. "Are you prepared to meet your end, Destroyer? This is the end."

"Hardly. If I am going to die, it won't be without a fight."

Calling on her armor, she dropped to the ground gracefully. Dais followed her quickly as he swung his mourning star at her. Kima used her sickles to block the blow, her feet sliding backward. When his blades had been retracted, the sickles began to glow.

"Dancing Blades!"

Dais managed to dodge most of the blades that came flying at him except for one that struck his shoulder plate. A deep incision was left in the metal as he grinned under his face mask.

"Nice try, Destroyer, but you'll have to do better than that."

_Blindness from your own hand_

_Fall from the edge, join souls with lives untold_

Kima's face plate was lowered as well as she growled. Her sickles morphed into a sanjiegun as she twirled it around and slammed the end into the ground. The pavement crumbled as bits of it floated into the air and came crashing down on the warlord.

"Stone Crusher!"

The warlord of Illusion dodged the stones as he made an advance. He flew at the Warrior of Destruction, his mourning star connecting with her sickles once again. Kima's feet slid backward as he pushed with all of his strength.

_Clear your mind of guilt, pass it down the line_

_Tithe away your fear, beg for a sign _

Dais swung for her head with his fist only to have it blocked. Kima plowed her leg toward his head. The warlord blocked it, slinging it away from her. The blonde slid backward, her feet kicking up dust as she came to a stop.

Throwing her helmet away as if it were inhibiting her, Kima made a giant leap forward. Dais leapt up to meet her in midair, their blades locking as they pushed against one another. Kima, being higher in the air, had the advantage as she knocked Dais away from her. He landed several feet away from her, shaking off the connection with the ground.

He took this time to taunt Claudia. "I'm going to kill her, Claudia. How does it feel to be helpless?"

"Go to hell, Dais. I'll squash you like the insect you are." the brunette snapped.

Dais chuckled. "Spiders are arachnids, not insects my dear. This will be over soon enough."

_Lost in shadows, lost in fate_

_Dim as the road to bloodshed_

_Scattered ashes, none remains_

_Blessed or the damned_

Kima had grown angry at this point. Swinging her sickles wildly, she rushed at Dais. The white-haired warlord disappeared and Toshiro was in his place. His icy eyes settled on her as she slowed her movements.

"Why are your blades raised to me, Kima? I'm not the one you want to fight."

The blonde gritted her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. "You're not Toshiro, you spider. Go back to spinning your web!"

Dais's laugh filled the air once again as he took his true form again. "Impressive, Destroyer. You didn't used to be able to see through my illusions so easily."

"I've improved, Dais. You're a fool to think that I would make this easy on you."

_Bow to nothing, fall to your knees again_

_Distant redemption, our way of life is death and sin_

Kento sneered as they were all watching the battle from their captivities. "You're a coward, Dais. You could take us all on at once."

"And what, Hardrock? Lose the challenge? You Ronins are worthless without your armors." the warlord cried back. "Where is the fun in that?"

"Don't worry." Kima said calmly. "This will be over soon enough. Wave Crusher!"

The water crashed into his body, sending him slamming into the unopened gate. Shaking the impact of the blow off, Dais reappeared standing on a strand of webbing with his arms crossed over his chest. Raising one hand, the gate opened, mist spilling out of it. Hundreds of red glowing eyes appeared as the youja began pouring out.

_Lost in shadows, lost in fate_

_Dim as the road to bloodshed_

_Scattered ashes, none remains_

_Blessed or the damned_

Kima slashed a youja in half across the middle and cleaved another's head off. The more that she destroyed, it seemed, the more appeared to take its place. Sweat clouded her eyes as she felt her movements slowing.

"What is he doing?" Toshiro called up to Sage.

A scowl was set on the warrior of Halo's face. "He's wearing her down and preparing for the kill. He's ready to end the game."

Toshiro looked back to the warlord and then to Kima. He felt a knot twisting in his stomach. It couldn't end so quickly. It couldn't.

_Find your way to nowhere, lose your face in darkness_

_And live your life in despair_

Kima panted as she slashed down yet another youja. She knew what Dais was doing. There was no point in trying to change the outcome now. When she split the last youja from crown to crotch, she lowered her weapons. She heard the shouted protests of her friends as she sensed Dais behind her. A sad smile twisted her lips as she accepted her fate.

_Clear your mind of guilt, pass it down the line_

_Tithe away your fear, beg for a sign_

Dais plowed the curved blade of the mourning star between her shoulder blades. The blade emerged from her chest covered in vermillion. Her eyes were half closed as a peaceful look covered her face. The blade was ripped back out of her body as she fell to the ground. As she did so, a whirlwind of colored fire drove Dais back as it burned the webbing that held her friends. The Ronin Warriors were slowly lowered to the ground as their armors were once again resting on their shoulders.

Toshiro's icy eyes were blank as he stared at Kima's still body. Her chest was still rising and falling, but barely. This was the end. This was it. She was dying.

_Lost in shadow, lost in fate_

_Dim as the road to bloodshed_

_Scattered ashes, none remains_

_Blessed or the damned_

Toshiro wasted no time as he pulled Kima into his arms and held her to him, brushing her hair out of her face. Blood was oozing from her wound as she looked up at him with glazed eyes. The Ronins had gathered closer to her. All were sullen.

"I'm done…guys. It's your turn…to finish this." she murmured.

"We'll end this for good, Kima. I promise." Kento said, attempting to keep his face from crumpling.

Cye was by her side as he took her hand, his face stained with tears. "Kima, I'm sorry, love. I acted like a fool. Please, forgive me."

"I…forgive you…Cye." she whispered, a cough forcing blood to stain her teeth and lips. "Renji…take care of…Claudia. I'll find you…from Rukongai…if you don't."

She then rested her armored hand on Toshiro's cheek as she tried to focus on his face. The captain rested his hand on top of hers. "Rest now, Kima. An uneasy soul will not cross over easily." he told her his voice wavering the tiniest bit.

"Toshiro…I just wanted…I just need…thank you. It's getting…darker. It's hard to…see. I just…I just want you…to know. I love…you." she breathed, tears streaming from her unfocused eyes.

A moment or two more and she ceased to breathe. Dais's laughter filled the air. Toshiro raised his head to glare at the warlord, two streams frozen to his cheeks. Dais sneered at him as the shinigami slowly laid Kima's body on the ground. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his zanpakuto as he took several steps forward.

"Your whore is now in hell where she belongs." The warlord of Illusion spat.

Toshiro let out an infuriated cry as he ripped the zanpakuto from its hilt. He broke into a run as he raced toward his opponent.

"Reign over the frozen sky, Hyorinmaru!"

...

End Chapter.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Renji blinked and followed Claudia back inside of the house. "It's obviously something. I was gone an hour, what happened?"

"Don't worry about it," Claudia muttered as she sat down on her bed and viciously ripped the black stiletto boots from her legs then threw them across the room.

"Claudia-"

"I said it was nothing!" She growled, wishing she'd held onto at least one of the boots so that she could have thrown it at his head. Why did he have to push? Couldn't he tell just by looking at her what had riled her up?

Renji stood in the doorway to the balcony and leaned against the door sill, just watching her while she brooded on their bed. His arm rose to brace his weight and touched something so thin, so silky that had it not been for his spiritual pressure, it never would have been noticed at all. A tiny strand of web, still faintly glowing with the fading power of Dais' illusion spell.

He didn't say anything, he just stared at the strand as it dissolved in his hand. When Renji had had enough of her silence, he dragged her out of the room by the arm and into the yard, not even so much as protesting as he pulled on the disembodiment glove. It was obvious that they were going to spar, but Claudia didn't even look in the slightest bit interested. So when he came at her, his hand stopped a centimeter from her face and he shouted in frustration.

"Why do you keep letting him get to you, Claudia!"

She didn't answer, she just stared passed him and all it did was infuriate him even more.

"What do you want, Claudia?" Renji finally demanded. "What do you want from me?"

Her hollow eyes shifted to his face and filled with an emotion that closely resembled fear and he immediately regretted the words, even though he needed to know.

"You. All of you. Just you," She whispered as tears filled her eyes. "It's all I want,"

Renji took a step up to her and kissed her gently. "Claudia, you have it. You have me. You'll always have me because my ass isn't going anywhere," Here he smirked, pressing his forehead against hers. "Find your resolve, Claudia. Find it and no matter what happens, I will be right there next to you,"

"I need to be stronger, Renji. I have to kill him. I have to save Toshiro from that. Kima wouldn't want him to become a killer,"

"He's a warrior, Claudia. He can handle it. But Kima wouldn't want that of you either,"

"He came to ask me to end it, Renji. He didn't say it outright, but that was Raj in that illusion. I have to be the one to kill him. I have to be the one to save him from himself. It was always supposed to be me,"

"Why do you think that? Why should it be yours to do?"

"Because that arrancar that has taken over Dorian's body was his fault. Dais helped Talpa lure Dorian and he's been trying to make it up to me for years. It has to be me because he helped kill my brother,"

"So, she wants to get stronger," A new voice, one Claudia had never actually heard before, but a voice she'd expected to accompany that graceful and gorgeous face.

"Kuchiki-taichou?" Renji blinked, surprised as the Captain of 6th company stepped out of the trees and moved gracefully towards them. Claudia had seen men in the world that a lot of women considered gorgeous, but this guy couldn't be described as anything less than beautiful. Clearly he was of noble blood, the air of superiority that surrounded him made that quite clear, but there was something about him that warned her never to underestimate him. He was a captain, after all. And Renji's commanding officer to boot.

"I will make you stronger or kill you,"

"W-what?" Claudia murmured, staring as Byakuya drew his zanpakuto and raised it in front of him. Renji's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly slammed Claudia's soul from her body, catching her falling body and carrying it a safe distance away.

"Bankai,"

...

As the Ronins fled the porch into the woods towards the gate, Toshiro turned his head and glanced at the other captains that had arrived a few seconds before.

"Giving them a head start?" Claudia asked from her seat at the bottom of the steps, already wrapped in the soul reaper's uniform. Renji leaned against the railing on the same step, his arms folded, his eyes alight with pride. Toshiro glanced for a moment at Byakuya who stood to his immediate right. He knew Byakuya had, for some reason, chosen to train with Claudia last minute in place of Kenpachi, and considering the way Byakuya trained his squad, the fact that Claudia was still among the living meant that something had to have been accomplished in the last several hours.

Toshiro nodded and without a spoken command, advanced into the woods after the Ronins, rejoining them just as Dais attacked. They weren't surprised by his vicious attack itself, it was the fact that his web could suddenly hold even the shinigami effectively in place that stunned them.

"It's the arrancar," Renji muttered, seeing the creature dancing into the shadows just as the gate closed behind Dais again. "He's enhanced Dais' power somehow,"

"That's not all he's done. The red eyes glowing behind him was a prelude to what we're about to face," Ichigo growled, fighting hard to reach back and get his fingers around the hilt of his zanpakuto. Zangetsu vibrated eagerly, but even that spiritual sword couldn't move within the web.

"This is it," Claudia whispered, not even attempting to struggle. She'd come to terms with the battle that was now taking place, just as Kima had. And even though one of her best friends would be losing her life, she'd pass on to the Soul Society. They would all see her again, it would just take a little time. She'd have to become a soul reaper before they would grant her a gigai, but it would happen.

So Claudia tried her best to ignore every word that left Dais' lips, trying to focus on Toshiro and his growing fury. Everyone could feel how the temperature around them was dropping, so no one could mistake his reaction. Kima was fighting to the death and she wasn't going to win.

He took this time to taunt Claudia. "I'm going to kill her, Claudia. How does it feel to be helpless?"

"Go to hell, Dais. I'll squash you like the insect you are." the brunette snapped.

Dais chuckled. "Spiders are arachnids, not insects my dear. This will be over soon enough." And he was right, it didn't take long at all for Kima's strength to give out. Dais was thrown back as the last of the Ronin's power burst from her body, the transfer complete. As she fell, the power of Dais' web drained. Renji blinked in surprise at the sudden release, glancing to Claudia as Toshiro ran to Kima.

"What just happened?"

"Dais didn't release us," Claudia whispered. "And none of the other warlords are here. The gates have closed again…"

"Aizen," Byakuya murmured, watching as Toshiro stood up and faced Dais.

_Aizen?_ Claudia thought, confused slightly. _He's given Dais the power to keep us from interfering, then just as quickly took it away. Why? Toshiro will kill him and then Aizen will be down one warlord. If he takes away that added power, how long does he really expect us to take to finish this?_ Claudia met Dais' eye and saw in the corners of her own that the Ronins had called in their full armors. They practically glowed with power. Glowing with power…

_The armors…_ Claudia reasoned as her eyes narrowed. _Aizen wants the warlords' armors. That's why it has to be me. I have to keep Dais' armor away from Aizen…_

"Reign over the frozen sky, Hyorinmaru!"

The battle cry startled Claudia out of her thoughts, but she didn't have enough time to think as a wall of black caged them, effectively separating the Ronins, the shinigami and Toshiro and Dais. Cale and Sekhmet had interfered.

"Do I need to ask?" Renji smirked as he felt Claudia next to him pulling Sarubimaru from its place on her back to be lifted above her head.

"No," Claudia murmured as she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Cale laughed in their ears, his dark presence completely surrounding them this time. A second later, Renji's spiritual pressure vanished from the void. It seemed Cale wanted them separated so that they couldn't throw the same attack at him, but then she felt Byakuya and Zaraki vanish soon after.

"Now this is more like it,"

Claudia couldn't pinpoint him at all. Clearly he'd decided not to hold back, and he himself had been given a boost of power from Aizen. She could hardly imagine what Sekhmet was putting the Ronins through at the moment, but she didn't have the time to worry about anyone other than herself. Renji could handle pretty much anything that was thrown at him and this would test everything that she'd learned. She'd never fought an enemy on her own before and Cale knew that.

But she'd just watched Kima die, killed by the man she'd wasted three years of her life with while he'd blatantly lied about the one thing that had once mattered the most to her. He'd put Renji through a night of hell and kept coming back for more.

She was mad as hell and no one, not even Dais or Renji, had ever seen her when she was really furious. Sarubimaru was vibrating violently in her hand, her stranglehold control on her spiritual pressure was quickly failing and all of the raw emotions brewing inside of her were bursting forward. She wouldn't be able to stop it. She didn't want to.

When she opened her eyes again, she still couldn't see him, but it didn't matter. All she could see was the haze of bloodlust before her dark brown eyes a second before white ferocious spiritual energy exploded out of her.

"Gallop, Sarubimaru!" She growled nastily. The zanpakuto transformed in her hand and Cale's fast moving form appeared silhouetted within it. He didn't seem effected by it, but she attacked him full force, slinging Sarubimaru so wickedly that Cale had a hard time dodging her attacks. The ferocity of her spiritual pressure created solid, ever extending chains between the blades of her zanpakuto, and until they made contact with Cale's body and armor, he didn't realize how deadly they really were. When the chains hit his armor, they stuck, burned into the mysterious material of his armor and sent shockwaves of her spiritual pressure against him. It wasn't her bankai, but a tiny quirk that she'd discovered while fighting Byakuya for her life.

She screamed, attacking him again, ignoring his taunts, ignoring his mirth and his nonchalance as he took her attacks. Finally, she had him pinned to the trunk of a tree and she flung the second blade of Sarubimaru towards him, twisting her wrist so that it curled around the tree, wrapped Cale three times with that spiritual chain and then impaled him.

He screamed for a while before the blade retreated, the chain unraveling as it returned to its master. The veil of darkness vanished and they were instantly surrounded by youja.

"You're dead, Cale," Claudia said, smiling at him as she lifted her arm upwards to attack again, but he suddenly vanished. She growled in frustration as the warlord was rescued by his master, and the youja pounced on her.

"Get away from her!" It was Renji's voice that cried out over the noise of those mindless green armored soldiers, mere moments before Zabimaru's massive snakelike form tore through their ranks. Renji was furious, his spiritual pressure barely controlled because of the instantaneous fear he'd felt as Cale had forced him away from Claudia. He didn't fear that she couldn't defend herself, he'd seen how strong she was and how hard she could fight. It was the fact that he couldn't see her, couldn't feel her on the other side of that dark barrier that scared the hell out of him. Now that he saw that she was all right, that fear was replaced by fury. He wanted to harm, to kill those that had initiated that moment of blind separation.

Kima had begged him to take care of Claudia and not ten minutes after she was dead, his ability was hindered. Too much was threatening a future he so desperately longed for and he had had enough.

"I am sick and tired of it!" Renji shouted as he viciously took out more and more of the oncoming swarm, though there were no signs at all that an end to their numbers was coming. As mad as he was, he didn't care.

A nasty yell of "RAGE OF INFERNO" and the terrified, pained scream from the shrieking throat of Sekhmet had Renji whipping Zabimaru in that direction just to give the Ronins a little more help. Byakuya and Kenpachi had vanished from the field, and from the brief glimpse he saw of the break in the soldiers inside of the gate, he assumed they had created them and were inside of the Dynasty.

The gates closed immediately after that, crushing a handful of those soldiers as it slammed shut. Sekhmet and Cale had been recalled by their master, leaving only Dais and Toshiro, locked in a vicious battle, behind.

"I WILL KILL YOU!"

The furious cry resounded around them and Claudia left Renji's side. A second later with the use of her flash step, she was next to Toshiro, her fingers curling around his shaking arm.

"No, Toshiro. Kima wouldn't want this, not from you. You must perform the konso before it's too late. Toshiro, please. Stop now." Claudia looked up at Dais and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'll finish him,"

...

End Chapter.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Silence settled among the Ronin Warriors as the others broke off to fight and Toshiro dove into battle to settle his vendetta. Cale had shown up, goading Claudia and Renji as Ichigo and Uryu were caught in his trap as well. Sekhmet would show up soon, they had a feeling.

A sullen mood had fallen over the five as they stood in a tight group. Kento stared at the ground as he trembled, his brow furrowed in anger. Sage's face was hidden by his hair, but the others could hear his teeth grinding. Rowen had a look of determination on his face as his hand tightened into a fist. The warrior of Torrent fought back the tears that threatened to fall as his leader remained silent.

"The time has come." Ryo spoke, drawing attention to himself. "We finish this tonight."

Kento nodded. "We'll crush the Dynasty for Kima."

Ryo turned his gaze to the gates. "Kima gave her life to give us back our armors. She wanted us to be able to defeat the enemy even it if was without her."

"I can't believe she's really gone." Cye commented, sounding like he was in a daze. "I was just holding her hand."

"I know it's hard, Cye, but she'd want us to be strong so we could stop this." Rowen stated, placing his hand on his companion's shoulder. "There will be time for us to mourn when this is over."

"There shouldn't have had to be a reason to mourn!" Sage barked. "That prideful fool knew there was another way to return our armors to us, but she chose this one. She just came back to us. Kima will get the beating of her life if she ever comes back."

"I know you're upset, Sage. We all are. Kima was just able to patch things up with us and we didn't get enough time with her. I have a feeling that we'll see her again, but for now, we have to fight this last battle."

Kento nodded. "Let's kick some arrancar ass!"

"Ronin Warriors, to arms!"

...

All sense seemed to leave the captain as the blade of his zanpakuto connected with the mourning star. His teeth were bared as he stared Dais in the face, pushing the warlord back with all of his spiritual pressure. The spider was barely keeping his position with each swing of Toshiro's sword.

"Your time is up, fool. You've caused pain for the last time."

"Are you still upset that I killed your whore, captain?" Dais sneered.

Toshiro growled as he pushed against the blade of the mourning star. "Don't you _ever_ talk about Kima in such a manner. I will _bury _you!"

The warlord dodged the butt of the sword as he grinned at the captain. "You get all excited over a few words just like your blonde counterpart. What's wrong, Hitsugaya? Can't you contain your anger long enough to land an attack?"

"You'll see more than my anger if you continue to run your mouth, _Dais_. You won't like it when Hyorinmaru materializes by himself."

Dais threw a punch at the captain, catching him off guard as Dais's knuckles grazed his cheek bone. "Whatever you say, Whitey. I don't think you'll do anything."

"I don't have to do anything." Toshiro stated, his eyes glowing eerily as he stood stock still.

Dais had no time to talk as his surroundings quickly froze over. His breath formed a cloud as he exhaled, relatively surprised. The white-haired captain was once again rushing toward him at the fastest pace he'd ever seen; shunpo he guessed. As the warlord attempted to leap backward out of harm's way, he looked down to see his legs frozen to the ground. A tight-jawed grimace took over his face as he tried his best to prepare for the glowing zanpakuto.

If the warlord didn't know any better, he could've sworn that he saw a large figure behind Hitsugaya, its coils shifting like a large serpent. Its icy form seemed to back the captain, its eyes gave off a demonic crimson glare which was distorted by the frozen mist that that had begun to rise.

"Soten ni zase, Hyorinmaru!"

...

"Damn, this feels awfully weird." Kento commented, feeling the weight of his weapon in his hands for the first time in years.

"I feel the same way." Cye whispered. "But now's not the time for that. We've got company."

"Well, well. I see you five will be somewhat of a challenge after all." Sekhmet jeered as he seemed to materialize in front them. "This will be a fight worth waiting nearly a decade for."

Rowen removed his bow from his back, knocking an arrow. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, snake, but we're going to finish this now. Heaven's Shockwave!" The warrior of Strata was knocked backward from the use of his sure kill. "Damn. I don't remember it ever packing that much of a punch."

Sekhmet dodged the arrow that was sent his way and jerked his swords from their scabbards. Showing his snake-like fangs, the warlord of Venom held his arms out to his sides. "Snake Fang Strike!"

No matter how many times they'd seen the attack, it was always like a nightmare to see it once again. Six arms seemed to twirl around them as Sekhmet attacked. The force of the poison wind caused face masks to lower and eyes to be clenched shut. Cye was the first to move once the poison had spread out. Anger twisted his visible features as he raised his yari into an offensive position.

"We will destroy you and the others, Sekhmet. Kima did not die in vain. We'll make sure that her sacrifice will be the only one! Wave Crusher!"

Water slammed into the warlord, knocking him off his feet as he was crushed against the side of a building. The green-haired warlord laughed as he rose to his feet once again, cracking his neck and taking a few steps forward.

"Oh my dear Torrent. You're going to have to do better than that. My master has given us awesome power and I intend on using it to the fullest. You'll be nothing more than stains on the pavement."

"We'll see about that, Sekhmet." Sage growled as he crouched into position. "Lightning Strike!"

...

Ice covered the streets and buildings as Dais hung suspended by a web, trying to evade his attacker. The white-haired captain had disappeared in the mist the ice had created. Toshiro had ended up being the worst opponent that anyone could ask for. Ever since he'd been provoked, the captain had not given an inch to his opponent. He felt no mercy toward him. He wasn't kidding when he said that Hyorinmaru would show up on his own.

A single whispered phrase crept through the air that was enough to freeze the warlord's blood in his veins. "Bankai. Daiguren Hyorinmaru."

When Toshiro reappeared, a set of icy wings and a tail flowed majestically behind him. Twelve ice blossoms floated around him as his frigid gaze landed on the warlord. Dais had attempted to create an illusion that would confuse the captain enough to let him escape, but the icy eyes bore into the depths of his soul, freezing his muscles in place.

"Guncho Tsurara."

Hundreds of ice shards came flying from nowhere, some piercing Dais's armor and others just leaving gashes. His web was cut and he was rendered utterly defenseless. As the warlord of Illusion fell to the ground, he'd never felt so helpless in his entire life. Cale was busy with Claudia and the other shinigami and Sekhmet was taking care of the Ronins. He would get no help from them.

Dais coughed, expelling his breath in a large vapor cloud. Was this how it was to end? His glory was once again stolen from him only to be dashed on the rocks in defeat. Would he never know victory? That was when he'd begun laughing once again, though he hadn't realized it. It echoed over the ice and snow that surrounded him and acted as a beacon to his attacker.

It was only a matter of seconds before Toshiro stood over him, a murderous look in his eyes. An anger so deep that it was past the point of rage twisted his features as he steadily moved closer. This man would show no hesitation in killing him. He was not like the Ronins or even the Destroyer. Their consciences would prevent them from doing the deed, but not Hitsugaya. He would obliterate the very source of his pain even if it meant a mental collapse afterward. All Dais could do was wait and watch.

His voice came out in the tone of a judge who had made a verdict as he stared down at the warlord in a hateful manner. "Dais, you have taken the life of one I love. You will pay with your life. Do you have anything to say for yourself or your actions?"

A sneer twisted Dais's lips. "If I'd have had it my way, I'd have killed Destroyer slowly and made you watch. Our hate for one another runs that deep, Hitsugaya. There would've been so much more bloodshed had we been in the dungeons of the Dynasty. My master has many things to cause pain to our enemies."

Toshiro's eyes glowed with murderous intent. "You are unforgivable. I will not tolerate your meaningless massacre, Dais. I will kill you."

...

"Stone Crusher!" Kento shouted.

The earth shook beneath their feet as the pavement split. The attack had hit the warlord of Venom directly. When the dust had settled, Sekhmet was still standing as his laughter filled their ears. He looked undamaged. The Ronins were panting as they tried to regroup.

How had Sekhmet gotten a hold of such great power? The group of five were panting, some leaning on their weapons, as they attempted to recover from the strain of battle. The green-haired warlord laughed at them as he looked positively untouched.

Ryo attempted to right himself as he winced at the sweat the fell in his eyes. "Alright, minna. We've tried everything. Sure kills won't touch him. This new power of the arrancar is strong. It leaves us with one other choice."

"Inferno." Sage murmured.

"We don't have any other choice." Cye stated. "If we don't finish with Sekhmet soon, Hitsugaya-san will destroy the whole place."

Rowen nodded. "We can do this. We may be a little rusty, but we've got this."

Fear washed over them all. It had been so long since they'd combined to create the Inferno armor. Could they still do it? There was no time like the present to find out as their individual armors began to glow, combining to create a new armor. Ryo stood before their enemy with a suit of white armor on, his soul Swords of Fervor glistening in the flames that danced around him.

"RAGE OF INFERNO!"

...

"RAGE OF INFERNO!"

Renji, Claudia, and the others ceased what they were doing as Sekhmet was swallowed in the column of fire only to be spit out several hundred feet away. The redhead shook his head in minor amusement. "So I guess little boy blue found his feet after all."

Claudia shook her head and drew closer to him only to have her attention pulled somewhere else. An icy wind was blowing past the nape of her neck as the temperature continued to drop. The sight she saw before her made her want to freeze and move all at once. Toshiro was only inches away from Dais, his bankai dispersed. His arms were shaking as he held his zanpakuto in front of him, ready to swing.

"I will kill you." the captain growled viciously.

She had to stop him if only for the sake of her friend. Kima wouldn't want him to kill in cold blood. She wouldn't want him to kill at all if he could help it. He had to be stopped. The brunette's gaze met that of the captain momentarily. All of his emotions were on display. Toshiro was held by a thread as his arms trembled, about to swing.

It didn't seem like an instant when Claudia appeared beside the captain. Grabbing his wrist, she gave him a pleading glance as her eyes remained locked on him. He was waging war with himself. Kima's death had affected him more than any of them had suspected even though he'd been prepared for it.

"No, Toshiro."

...

"I will kill you."

"Do it then, Hitsugaya-_taichou_. I'm not afraid of _you_."

As he tightened his grip on the hilt of his zanpakuto and raised his arms, he felt the pressure of someone touching his skin. The small glimmer of hope that shone in his eyes was shattered when he looked up to see Claudia gripping his wrist firmly to stop his swing. No word could describe the emotion that his eyes conveyed to her; hurt, fury, loss, pain, vengeance, vindication. His expression almost looked like that of a child. Toshiro looked so confused.

Dais continued to watch silently as a triumphant look placed itself on his face. He'd caused all this pain and suffering. If he had to die, then he could at least die knowing that he'd managed to deal a devastating blow to Claudia, the Ronins, and Hitsugaya Toshiro. All he could do was laugh on deaf ears.

Claudia swallowed the lump in her throat before she spoke. "No, Toshiro. Kima wouldn't want this, not from you. You must perform the konso before it's too late. Please, Toshiro. Stop it now. I'll do it."

The white-haired captain couldn't even nod as his whole body felt numb. The anger seemed to dissipate into nothing. He knew that he would see Kima again in Soul Society, but that didn't make the pain in his chest go away. Falling to his knees, Toshiro hid his face in his hands. Trails of ice froze to his cheeks as a bright glow filled his eyes. Sorrow. He knew Claudia was right. In fact, he knew the blonde was standing in front of him at that very moment. Gazing up at her, he didn't quite know what to say. Kima's spirit stood before him in her armor, her helmet off and resting under her arm. She smiled at him, but he could see the sorrow in her expression. Her translucent figure stood proudly against the backdrop of the crumbling buildings.

"I think I can wait long enough for this final battle to finish. I want to see the finale. You've done well, Shiro-chan. Don't be sad." she told him.

"Kima…I…" Toshiro stuttered. "Dais…I…I almost…"

Placing a transparent finger on his lips, she shushed him. "You don't have to explain anything to me. You can tell me anything you want when this is all over and you come home. For now, it's time to finish this."

Toshiro nodded, his gaze once again hard as he rose to his feet. It was time to put an end to this once and for all. Aizen had gone too far this time and now he was going to pay. Joined by the others, Renji moved to stand beside him. Claudia was left for the moment to deal with the warlord of Illusion. Nodding to him once, Toshiro lifted his zanpakuto.

"Bankai! Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

...

End Chapter.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Make him suffer," Toshiro growled as he and Renji moved to join the Ronins at the foot of the gate.

"You really expect me to believe that you have any intention or will at all to kill me?"

Claudia raised Sarubimaru in front of her, her expression carefully neutral as she drew Dais' only eye to her face.

"No. I expect you to suffer for all of the pain you've caused, Dais,"

"Blah, blah, blah, I've heard this speech a dozen times before, Claudia, and just as a friendly bit of information, no one that has ever said that has ever succeeded in making me suffer. I always win," He lifted the mourning star and smirked at her. "I will have my victory and my glory and I'll have it by killing you! Web of Deception!" She leapt up and brought Sarubimaru's twin blades down on him, diverting the mourning star before it could reach her, then dove in for a slice that would have taken off his arm had he not pivoted at the last second. They danced for a second, but he was weakened and injured from his fight with Toshiro, and Kima for that matter, so his movement was slow.

Claudia made a sweeping pass and went to kick his feet out from under him but he ducked out of the way. The sudden sharp movement made Claudia narrow her eyes, as she used her very basic shunpo to cut him off. Something in his eye that shouldn't be there. A strange aura around his armor that was never there before. Then a sliver of ghostlike energy seeping through a crack in his armor as Hyourinmaru's remaining ice melted away.

Well, that explained it. She stopped and buried the blades of her zanpakuto into the dirt. Dais moved swiftly when he saw that she was no longer defending herself.

"WEB OF DECEPTION!"

Claudia remained unmoving as the mourning star raced towards her. Renji shouted out in protest for her lack of movement, but the mourning star twisted at the last possible second and lodged itself into a nearby tree. Dais, as well as everyone else in the clearing, stared at it, stunned and dumbfounded.

"I know your secret," Claudia murmured as she ripped Sarubimaru from the dirt and lifted it high above her head. "I can see it very clearly right now,"

"Can you now?" Dais growled as he yanked the mourning star back towards him, making yet another attempt to attack her and failing miserably. The mourning star buried itself in the ground at her feet.

"Try as you might, you just can't hurt me," Claudia raised her other hand up to grip the hilt of Sarubimaru. "Do you want to know why?"

"Why?" Dais growled as he watched her bring her zanpakuto down towards the mourning star, intent on destroying it and almost accomplishing her task, but he was able to call it back to him at the last second.

"Because Rajura's soul is still in partial control of his own body and he made a vow that he would never hurt me physically," Claudia was suddenly standing behind him. "How long have you been inside of him, spirit? How long and how hard have you fought to control him? You really thought I wouldn't be able to tell the difference?" Claudia used her shunpo to appear in front of him before he could counter her and there was a sickening crunch and grind as Sarubimaru found a new sheath within his body.

He gasped, crying out as his body jerked in response to the invasion. He stared at her in stunned disbelief, his shaking hands coming forward to grip hers in an attempt to remove her zanpakuto from his body. He struggled to breathe and the wild rasping sounds drew Claudia's dark eyes down to his face as she ripped Sarubimaru out of his belly, letting the blood drip from the very tips of the blades.

Dais slipped to his knees, arms limp at his sides as he tipped his head back and the nether spirit burst from his throat. It tried to flee but a swipe from Zabimaru somewhere ahead of her completely destroyed it.

"C-Claudia,"

Her eyes lowered to his face and for the first time in weeks, she stared into a familiar face. "Raj,"

He smiled a little, a distraught smile, then coughed up enough blood to drown himself in. Claudia dropped Sarubimaru and kneeled in front of him, her hands gripping his shoulders to keep him upright. The instant her fingers touched his armor, she felt the illusion forming around them. A field of sakura trees in a tiny bubble he'd created. Whatever he wanted to say or show her, he didn't want anyone else to hear or see it.

"I never meant-"

"I know. I forgive you, Rajura," Claudia whispered sincerely as she reached up with one hand and brushed the platinum blond hair from his face.

"No," He murmured as he closed his eye. "You can't, not yet. I haven't earned your forgiveness yet,"

She frowned but said nothing as he struggled to hold the illusion, to say what he wanted to say, knowing he was dying and it wouldn't be long at all, maybe a few seconds, before he was gone.

"I…oh, Claudia,"

"Say it," She encouraged, warmth filling her eyes. "I'm listening,"

"I love you and…I'm so sorry. I just wanted to protect you. I wanted you to need me, the way you need Renji. Forgive me, please, one day, Claudia."

Claudia reached up and pressed her fingers to his bloodied lips as the tears poured out of his eye. The illusion was failing and so was his heart.

"T-take it," He begged as his armor vanished and his sub-armor faded away. He was still wearing the t-shirt and jeans he'd been wearing the last time he'd come to her, but all of it was soaked in blood now. He grabbed her hand and pressed a small gray orb into her palm, forcing her fingers to close around it as the illusion collapsed and they were back in the clearing. No one saw or noticed the exchange, which she felt was a good thing. Their last little secret.

Renji was at her side in an instant, her momentary disappearance having grated on his already frayed temper. The second he reached out for Claudia, Dais fell to the side, rolling onto his back to stare up at the stars longingly.

"What's it like…the Soul Society?"

Renji glared at him, but Claudia reached out and closed his eye. "It's beautiful. You'll like it there. Yachiru?"

The pink haired lieutenant leapt from Kenpachi's shoulder and landed lightly on the other side of Dais' limp and bloodied body.

"Yes, Claudia-sama?"

Claudia closed her eyes and gripped the armor orb tightly in her hand. "Please perform the konso for Rajura,"

There were stunned gasps from everyone in the group and Renji reached down to squeeze her shoulder.

"Are you sure?"

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure,"

"I'll take care of it," Yachiru said quietly. "You guys get into the gate before it closes all of the way!"

"Let's end this," Toshiro growled as he stepped up to the gate, his cold blue eyes completely frozen as he stepped through, the Ronins following behind quickly. Yachiru would take care of Kima and Dais' bodies, and Mia and Yulie had guards from the Soul Society watching over them and the small collection of gigais, so they had nothing to worry about on this side any more.

"Claudia?"

She pocketed the armor orb as Renji reached out to take her hand. She twisted her fingers with his and then they were all racing in after Toshiro and the Ronins. Once inside, the light faded out to a gloomy purple. They had stepped through the gate into a completely different realm and there were soldiers everywhere. In the distance, a dark, ominous palace, a labyrinth of pathways similar to the Seireitei's inner sanctum surrounding it.

"Split up," Urahara encouraged. "Groups of three! Destroy as many soldiers as you can, hollows too because I can sense swarms of them in here, and then we'll regroup at the main entrance to that palace. The gate to Hueco Mundo must be inside there,"

"Agreed," Toshiro growled. "Ryo, Sage, with me!"

"Kento," Urahara said quietly. "You go with Inoue and Ukitake-taichou. Ichigo, with Renji and Claudia. Kenpachi and Byakuya with me. Yoruichi, take Uryu and Rowen with you. Cye, you go with Shuten and Yumichika. The rest of you," and here he pointed to Ikkaku, Hanataro and Captain Unohana. "take point. Make sure nothing and no one gets in or out of these gates until we finish this! If anyone needs aid with injuries, you three will be best for it!"

The groups split up and headed in different directions, all with the intention of getting into that palace as safely and effectively as possible. Ichigo, Claudia and Renji ran alongside the wall that surrounded the labyrinth of pathways for two miles before choosing an entry point that befitted them and then they leapt inside. They instantly went to the first pathway to the right, zanpakuto drawn and ready.

"You'd think we would have run into a shit ton of soldiers by now," Ichigo murmured, slightly confused. "Where are they?"

"He's right," Renji muttered as he stopped at the last second to jump onto the top of the wall, staring out towards the palace. He growled quietly at the seething swarms of soldiers that were beginning to flood the labyrinth from the palace. "Here they come."

"Renji! Hollow!" Claudia cried and Renji looked up just in time to see the ghost like monstrosity baring down on him. Sarubimaru raced past his head and straight into the mask covering the hollows face. It shattered and so did the hollow.

"Thanks, babe," Renji smirked proudly down at her. "Glad to know you've got my back,"

"Of course," She grinned back and glanced at Ichigo for a second before they both leapt up to join Renji on the wall. She wasn't surprised to see that several others had done the same thing from all different angles. Not all of them, but some. Not that this helped. There was no discernable way to that palace, so they'd just have to grin and bear it for a while.

Her eyes stopped on the faraway form of Hyorinmaru. Even from two miles away, she could still see the raw emotion on Toshiro's face. If he did what she thought he would, he'd leave his "team" behind and head straight for the palace on his own. He couldn't face Aizen alone, and considering how crazy that arrancar in her brother's body seemed to be, she had her doubts about him being able to deal with the arrancar.

"Shiro-chan…"

"Let's get going," Renji said as he lead them down from the wall to a new pathway to head in a completely different direction. "We have to try and surround them before they can surround us. If we get too close to the others, that might not turn out so well,"

"I agree," Ichigo muttered as they raced down a long winding stretch of gravel and high walls. They could hear the movement and the howls of the soldiers now. They were getting closer. But it wasn't just soldiers. Hollows were everywhere!

"Above you!" Ichigo shouted and Renji whipped Zabimaru upwards while Claudia whirled around to dispatch the one that had been trying to sneak up on them. Ichigo blinked and muttered something under his breath about needing a woman to save him before a wall of hollows suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Son of a bitch!" He growled. "These guys are just as bad as those stupid soldiers. Where are they all coming from?"

"Urahara was right! The gate to Hueco Mundo must be inside the palace and it's open! They're pouring out from there," Renji growled. "Roar Zabimaru!"

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo cried, a wave of spirit particles in the shape of a crescent moon bursting from Zangetsu and cutting through enough of the hollows to reveal the swarm of nether soldiers falling in behind them. "Dammit! They just keep coming!"

"HAHAHAHAHA! IT'S TIME! IT'S TIME! IT'S TIME! Look! Look! LOOK!"

Claudia whipped around and stared up at the arrancar as he danced around excitedly above them on the far wall of the pathway.

"You…"

"Look! Isn't it beautiful! Yes, master! Go, master! Yes! Yes! YES!"

"Gallop Sarubimaru!" Claudia screamed furiously. The arrancar grinned at her and vanished half a second before he would have been impaled.

"What the hell was he on about?" Ichigo demanded as Claudia landed lightly on the wall and stared in open mouthed awe across the labyrinth. The palace and all of the gates surrounding the perimeter were glowing a ghastly green, tinges of crimson dancing at the closest edges of the walls of both palace and gates. Renji and Ichigo landed next to her a second later, all of them staring, confused.

"What is that? What's happening?" Renji growled nastily, his teeth clenched as he stared around. The soldiers and hollows had all stopped, temporarily frozen by the eerie energy as it burst from the gates to join with the massive energy gathering at the palace. "Dammit! What is this!"

Claudia's eyes drifted upwards and she gasped, reaching out and gripping Renji's arm hard enough to bruise all the way down to the bone. He winced in surprise and jerked his head towards her, then followed her gaze upwards.

"Renji, is that…?"

"Soul Society! They've opened a portal!"

"He's trying to get a gate in!" Ichigo gasped, raising Zangetsu in front of him. "We have to stop him!"

"We can't," Renji murmured, horrified, his body shaking. "We can't! It's too late, look!"

The energy gathered burst upwards with a ferocity that knocked the three off the wall and back onto the ground below. They landed haphazardly on top of one another, but their eyes never left the sight in the sky. Aizen had managed his objective after all… How many innocent people had given their lives to give him that power?

Claudia's chest tightened. Whether they were just her adoptive parents or not, they were still her parents and she was worried for them. Had her mother listened to her and gotten as far away from that gate as possible or were they dead now because they'd been bled dry to feed Aizen's evil plot?

"What do we do? Renji! What do we do?"

"I…I don't know," He reached out and took her hand, still transfixed. "I hope everyone's all right,"

...

Momo sighed quietly as she moved along the walkway between the barracks, meeting with Izuru at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey! Momo!"

She blinked and looked up at him, forcing a small smile. "Hey, Izuru."

"I figured since we're all going to the lieutenants meeting, I'd wait for you." He gave her a genuine, sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head. "If that's okay with you, of course!"

Momo giggled a little and nodded. "Yeah, it's okay! I'd like the company,"

"Well, then, let's g-" Izuru's smile fell so suddenly, Momo thought he was going to be sick.

"Izuru? Izuru, what is it? What's wrong? Are you all right?"

And then Matsumoto Rangiku and Kotetsu Isane came to stand next to them, their eyes turned up towards the sky, mouths parted in horror. Momo stared at them before whipping around and looking up herself, her breath coming out in a great gasp as she stared up into the massive circle forming above them. There, deep inside the dark circle, was a palace, hanging upside down above them.

"W-What is that?"

"Dynasty," Rangiku murmured, shivering a little. "It's Aizen…!"

"What the hell is that?" Isane growled as they stared at the green energy forming at the topmost part of the castle. "Everyone, get back!" She cried just as the vicious wave of energy burst through the portal and slammed into the ground not ten feet away from them. The shockwave hit them dead on and all four were thrown back into the rock wall behind them. The energy shimmered and spiked, red lightning bursting wildly from it before it completely vanished.

"What…" Izuru pulled himself upright, his hands curling around the hilt of his zanpakuto as the clearing suddenly flooded with the remaining captains and the few shinigami who had witnessed the event.

"Stay back!" Komamura-taichou ordered when several of the shinigami moved forward to investigate the scorched ground. They obeyed his order, quickly scooting back along the wall. Nothing happened for a long moment. Head Captain Yamamoto landed lightly between Captains Kurotsuchi and Soi Fon, his old eyes narrowed as he stared at the ground.

"Aizen has prevailed," He said quite suddenly, drawing everyone's attention unto himself. "Stand back!"

The ground vibrated beneath their feet for a second before an all out earthquake threw several of them to the ground. The scorched earth in the center of the clearing broke apart and a dark, ominous gate burst forward, two hundred feet into the sky. There were gasps, outcries of horror, from the crowd as the ground and dust settled. As they all stared up at it, the portal into the Dynasty high above it snapped closed, vanishing completely. The gate remained, looming ominously over the faces of all in the Soul Society.

"S-Sotaichou! What do we do?" Captain Komamura asked, his fox eyes staring up at the solid, dark gate in horror, completely at a loss.

"We will wrap the strongest binding spells around it. This gate will not be allowed to open. Aizen's intention was merely to get it here. He has not the power to open it. The binding spells will stall him further. Everyone! Back to your duties. Squad one will take care of this. Go, now! You are all dismissed!"

As the clearing emptied, he stared up at the gate with narrowed, calculating eyes. _So, it has begun, just as Teijiro predicted._

...

As the portal leading into the Soul Society vanished from the sky, Renji shook and hit his knees on the ground.

"H-he…"

"Renji," Claudia's fingers tightened around his arm again as he growled and cried out in frustration. "Renji!"

"What the hell is that noise?" Ichigo questioned as he whirled around to meet the oncoming throng of hollows and soldiers. The energy was gone and they were mobile again, and now something else seemed to be driving them. They seemed almost excited now.

Claudia's eyes were once again drawn towards the horizon, but this time in the opposite direction. "R-Renji…?"

He turned his head at the sound of her distress and stared into the horizon. The dark sky of the Dynasty was _splitting open_.

"RENJI! HEADS UP!" Ichigo cried as a throng of soldiers and hollows surrounded him. There were too many for him to handle on his own.

"Claudia, help Ichigo!" Renji ordered as he drew Zabimaru and stared angrily at the Menos Grande that leaked out from the tear in the sky. "Go! I'll handle this,"

"Be careful!" Claudia demanded as she leapt down into the fray and pressed her back to Ichigo's. "Need help?"

Ichigo smirked a little as he lifted Zangetsu. "You're going to make a bad ass Soul Reaper, you know that?"

Claudia smiled over her shoulder at him. "That's what I keep hearing. You're not half bad yourself, Ichigo. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were Shinketsu, a true blood,"

Ichigo chuckled. "Not likely, but I am pretty bad ass. Let's get these things! Clear a path for Renji!"

"Hai!" And at the same time they pushed off one another and leapt straight into the fray. Zangetsu's short range attacks were coupled by the long range attacks of Sarubimaru and they were able to tear a straightway path through the throng for Renji. A blast from Zangetsu ripped the far wall into pieces and led into a forest close to the palace where the Menos was seething.

Renji landed at the opening Ichigo created and headed towards the clearing ahead of him where the Menos would end up, drawn by the millions of hollows to feast on and the spiritual pressure mixed within them.

"Focus on the hollows! If the Menos feeds on any of them, it'll only make it stronger!" Ichigo shouted, holding out his arm. "I'll give you a boost!"

Claudia didn't think about it, she just leapt up onto his arm, surprised he could hold her weight, but his spiritual pressure was off the charts at the moment, and then he thrust her upwards towards the new wave of hollows.

"Gallop Sarubimaru!" She shouted as the blades separated once again. She floated in the air for a few long moments, she wasn't sure if she was being supported by Ichigo's spiritual pressure or her own, but it worked. She took out a good half of the hollows before landing lightly on another wall. The nether soldiers withdrew from them, racing back through the labyrinth towards other targets, either frightened by the Menos or their attacks, but countless hollows began to take their place.

"This is starting to get annoying," Ichigo growled under his breath as he drew himself upright. "There's too many of them to deal with like this." He glanced up at Claudia and smirked at the eyebrow raised look she gave him. "Bankai. Tensa Zangetsu,"

Claudia blinked as the spiritual pressure burst from him and the elongated and fierce form of his zanpakuto blackened and thinned. Even his Shihakusho changed form.

"Wicked…" She murmured in reverence before facing a howling hollow intent on killing her. "Hello, ugly!" She slung Sarubimaru forward, but instead of the usual whip form it always took, the blades glowed and flung a burst of spiritual particles towards the hollow in the form of hundreds of tiny blades. Claudia blinked as the hollow burst into pieces. "Oh…that was cool,"

Ichigo chuckled as he landed next to her on the wall. "I knew that zanpakuto of yours had something else up its sleeve,"

"I'm glad everyone waits until the last possible second to tell me this stuff!" Claudia protested, clenching the hilt of Sarubimaru as the Menos Grande howled a battle cry ahead of them. "Renji!"

"Let's go! He might need our support!"

...

Renji reached the opening in the wall that Ichigo had made for him and glared into the dark forest looming on the other side of the threshold. He could feel the Menos' hunger beyond those trees and he growled angrily. He had to get to it and get rid of it before it could feed on any hollows and get stronger. The last thing he needed was an adjuchas to deal with. Even with his bankai, this Menos would be difficult to dispatch. He couldn't afford to let it get stronger.

Renji pushed off from the wall and sped into the forest, soon reaching the clearing where the Menos was, already feasting on a hollow who had strayed far too close to it and lost the battle. He stopped just at the edge of the trees and stared up at it, his teeth clenched hard. He could handle this thing, he could, he just had to concentrate. His bankai was still new to him, he didn't have that much control over it, but if he concentrated hard enough, he'd be able to command it to destroy this Menos. After that, everything would come to him a lot easier. Defeating this Menos would boost his confidence enough that he wouldn't doubt his ability any more.

The Menos suddenly noticed his presence, drawn by the sweet scent of his spiritual energy.

Renji's hand tightened around the hilt of Zabimaru as he stared up at the hungry Menos bearing down on him.

"Bankai. Hihio Zabimaru!" In a burst of spiritual pressure that had the Menos howling in anticipation of feasting on him, Zabimaru transformed. A soul that strong was too much to resist. A wicked roar unlike anything the Dynasty had ever heard before rose into the sky as Zabimaru's huge, snakelike head rose high above Renji, it's body curled around its master, seething all the way up to the hilt still clutched in Renji's hand. The fur jacket over Renji's shoulders fluttered, disturbed by the air swirling around him from the outburst of spiritual pressure.

Claudia and Ichigo reached the clearing just as he attacked the Menos, and they effectively ran a perimeter that kept the hollows from getting too close to the Menos while Renji kept the Menos from trying for a meal, though it seemed to be completely consumed by the spiritual energy Renji was directing at it.

"It's bigger the closer you get," Claudia muttered as she and Ichigo met around the corner and paused to assess the situation.

"They're a bitch to fight," Ichigo panted, clearly getting tired. How long had they been here now? "Renji can handle it!"

"Yeah," Claudia murmured as she stared up at Renji as he leapt into the air and sent Zabimaru at the Menos' large, ugly white mask. She smiled a little at the look on Renji's face. There was so much strength and confidence in that smile. She could only imagine the arrogance he'd exude once he defeated the damn thing. There'd be no living with him after that.

Renji landed lightly a second later, having landed a heavy blow on the Menos that weakened it and would have completely obliterated any other hollow or enemy. He closed his eyes and lifted the hilt of Zabimaru out in front of him.

"Higa Zekko," He growled. The segments of Zabimaru separated, sharpened by his spiritual pressure, and with one sharp movement of his wrist, the pieces flew up and surrounded the Menos then flew into him viciously all at once. It gave a wicked, nasty scream and then was gone.

"And there you have it," Claudia chuckled as she glanced at Ichigo while Zabimaru's segments reformed and vanished. Renji was smirking, Claudia knew that without even looking at him.

"Let's get back to-" Ichigo and Claudia froze as the sound of a sickening crunch and grind reached them. There was a startled gasp from Renji and then a sick, amusing laughter from behind him.

Claudia and Ichigo whirled around just in time to see the arrancar ripping its zanpakuto from Renji's back, only to plunge it in again at a different angle. Renji gave a cry of pain that froze Claudia completely in her tracks. She stared at the sight with wide, horrified brown eyes.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Look how he falls!" Another crunch as the blade pierced Renji's chest and tore through him. He struggled to breathe as he hit his knees, Zabimaru clattering to the ground beside him, instantly reverting to its sealed form. Blood flowed freely around Renji and his empty eyes met Claudia's before, with a last sickening gasp, he collapsed forward.

"Renji!" Ichigo cried as he turned towards the arrancar, his hands trembling in fury. "You son of a bitch! I'll kill you for that!"

Ichigo made it halfway to the hysterical arrancar before he froze, his entire body hindered by the massive spiritual pressure that filled the clearing, even the arrancar looked horrified now. Ichigo forced his body to obey him, forced himself to turn around enough to see the source, and stared into the blank, furious eyes of Claudia. The spiritual energy swirling around her couldn't even be described. It was so bright, so violent, he could barely see the woman it was caging.

"C-Claudia…"

"Bankai!"

He was blinded by the whirlwind of light, and his own attempt at summoning his bankai failed miserably. All he could do now was shield Renji from the blast.

...

The massive eruption of spiritual pressure stopped Toshiro in his tracks. He twisted towards the forest next to the palace and stared at the blinding white dome appearing over it. Kenpachi and Byakuya came to a stop next to him. Everyone within the innermost sanctum of the labyrinth stopped and stared.

"That spiritual pressure…" Toshiro murmured.

"Claudia," Kenpachi confirmed as the Ronins ran up to the stunned captains.

"Her bankai?" Toshiro questioned as he noticed almost all of the group had reunited, save Claudia, Ichigo and…Renji! Toshiro gasped in surprise. "Renji!"

"His spiritual pressure is barely there," Byakuya said stoically. "He has fallen,"

"Look at the soldiers!" Uryu Ishida cried out, pointing at the throbbing mass that had begun to surround them. "They're dissolving!"

"They were connected to the arrancar," Yuroichi pointed out. "They're fading because the arrancar has been defeated. He must have been the one to attack Renji. Claudia has put an end to that."

"Quickly!" Toshiro shouted, bounding recklessly into the palace. "Before the gate closes!"

He lead the group, and they barely reached the center of the palace in time. The gate to Hueco Mundo was still open, but began to slowly close as they entered the chamber. Inside of it, Gin and Tosen stood, both smirking. They were meant to be seen. And then Sekhmet and Cale landed lightly in front of them.

"Brothers!" Shuten growled, stepping forward. "Would you fall so easily into your past lives? Talpa controlled you just as Aizen now controls you. This life is no different from the last! Do not join them!"

Sekhmet laughed as he backed into the gate to stand between Gin and Tosen.

"He only wants your armors!" Shuten protested, but now Cale laughed and backed into the gate.

"Goodbye, Dark Warlord of Cruelty. We shall meet again. You shall see,"

Shuten growled and thrust his kusari-gama forward, but the chain slammed into a wall of rock solid gate. It had closed, taking everything with it.

The palace quaked, shook on its foundation.

"We must leave," Shuten muttered, turning back towards the angry group behind him. "We must leave before the gates close on us!"

...

Ichigo swallowed thickly as Claudia dropped to her knees beside Renji and reached out, pressing her hands to his limp body.

"R-Renji…"

The light had blinded him so much that he hadn't seen the form of her bankai, hadn't seen what it could do or what it was capable of until it was over. That arrancar was no more than a pile of dust, and while he hadn't seen the thing die, he'd heard it. Whatever Claudia had done, it was a wicked attack. But she was completely spent. The exhaustion was obvious, but all of the anger and fury was gone from her. Only anguish, grief, pain, could be seen on her face now. Ichigo lowered his eyes to Renji's still, cold form and quickly looked away. How could they have let him down like this?

"I'm sorry, Claudia," Ichigo murmured, his voice cracking. "I should have had his back,"

Claudia choked on a sob and fell forward onto Renji's bloodied, torn back, and curled her fingers tight into his ruined shihakusho. She cried and cried and cried so much that Ichigo had to step away. He couldn't stand the sound of it, couldn't stand the sight of her pain. How could this have happened?

Wind whistled through the trees and Ichigo turned around to see Unohana-taichou entering the clearing on the back of the beast that was her Zanpakuto, Minazuki. He gasped. That thing could heal almost any injury when the injured person was put inside of it. Hanataro was with her, too, as well as Ikkaku Madarame.

"Shit, Renji!" Ikkaku whined as he landed lightly next to Claudia. "Claudia, step back, let Unohana-taichou and Hanataro tend to his wounds."

"He's gone," Claudia gasped, unable to let him go.

"His heart still beats," Unohana said gently as she knelt down on the other side of Claudia and gently touched her shoulders. "Please, let us help him. We haven't much time. The gates to this realm are closing."

"Come on," Ikkaku murmured as he pulled Claudia onto her feet and grabbed her zanpakuto. "You too, Ichigo!" And then he leapt onto the back of Unohana's beastlike zanpakuto. Ichigo nodded solemnly and followed, watching as Hanataro and Unohana lifted Renji off the ground and pressed him into Minazuki's large, monstrous mouth. The sight of all the blood made Claudia sick at her stomach.

"Do all that you can, Minazuki," Unohana encouraged as she and Hanataro leapt onto the back of the huge beast with the others. "Back to the human realm!"

"Renji…" Claudia breathed as she fell back against Ikkaku and closed her eyes, completely spent.

"He'll be okay, you'll see," Ikkaku murmured, frowning as she fell asleep in his arms. He desperately hoped that that wasn't a lie and that someone back at that damned house had some serious alcohol. They were all going to need it tonight.

...

End Chapter


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

After the groups had split up, Toshiro, Ryo, and Sage headed into the labyrinth that was the Dynasty. The captain fought to keep his temper from flaring as he followed the two Ronins. The two had been inside the palace walls before, so he let them lead for now. They were twittering back and forth as they were covering ground, fighting the youja as they went. Ryo was the first to perch atop one of the walls, followed by Sage.

"We can do this one of two ways," Sage said, "We can go through the main entrance, which will be more heavily guarded, or we can attempt to go through the dungeons. They will most likely expect us to come through the front."

"The dungeons would be more strategically-sound choice. We'll make for the dungeons rather than the front gates. You remember how to get there, I take it?" Toshiro asked, a serious look on his face.

"We could never forget." Ryo said. "We spent too long in this place. It's something that will stay ingrained in our minds forever."

Toshiro nodded. "Lead the way, Ryo. Either way we go, we'll finish this."

The warrior of Wildfire nodded as both he and Sage leapt to the next wall. It would be much easier topping the walls than following the labyrinth to the main entrance. Toshiro followed them until they got about halfway in. He spotted Renji, Claudia, and Ichigo as they had same idea as Ryo, taking to the tops of the walls. The youja caught onto their plan, climbing up the walls to intercept them. Hyorinmaru blazed to life as it froze the nether spirits in their path.

When the captain saw that he'd left Ryo and Sage some distance behind him, he pulled to a stop. Ryo and Sage came to a stop behind him, catching their breath. They didn't have long to rest before a monstrous roar sounded, directing their attention closer to the palace. A large creature with a devilish mask was stomping toward them at a great speed for something its size.

"What the hell is that thing?" Sage asked, taking an involuntary step back.

"That, Ronin Warriors, is a hollow. That is what a spirit turns into who died in anger or held some earthly attachment after they died. When the hollow starts attacking other souls then there is no way to save it."

Without another word, Toshiro leapt into the air, slicing the hollow vertically down its mask. The thing seemed to dissolve as another moved to take its place. Growling, the captain destroyed it before continuing on. Looking back over his shoulder, he spotted Ryo and Sage close behind.

"How much further to the dungeons?"

"There!" Sage pointed, leaping to the ground. "This is the back way into them. The coast is clear. If we hurry, we can get in unseen."

Toshiro nodded. Using Hyorinmaru, he froze the bars that covered the grate. Ryo gave them a swift kick and watched them shatter before he disappeared through the drainage escape. Sage followed him and Toshiro soon after. The darkness seemed to swirl around them as they made their way down the tunnel toward their destination. All three men kept their weapons at the ready.

It was Ryo who stopped when they came to a large chamber with a shrine at the end of the stone pathway, two pools of red water on either side. The chamber where they'd fought Sekhmet in their first battle with Talpa had been repaired to perfection. No scratch had been left or one piece of stone out of place. He and Sage fanned out as they went deeper into the chamber.

"How do we get to the chamber above?" Toshiro asked, his eyes darting warily.

"There's a staircase behind the shrine." Ryo replied. "That should take us to the main room upstairs."

Sure enough, the stairs were there. Toshiro broke between the two and started heading up. With the use of his shunpo, the Ronins were left behind. As the white-haired captain made it out of the stairwell, he was met with a surprise. There standing before him was Ichimaru Gin. His grin had not changed one bit. Toshiro raised his zanpakuto for an attack.

"Well now if it isn't Hitsugaya-taichou. You're pretty popular with old man Yama if you got this mission."

"Shut it, Ichimaru. I don't have time to bandy crooked words with a witless worm." Toshiro snarled. "Are you proud of what you've done?"

Gin stroked his chin as if he were thinking. "If you're referring to the incident with Kima-san, I was barely involved. Sweet kid, she seemed like."

The captain growled, tightening his grip on his zanpakuto as he ripped it from its sheath. With the use of his shunpo, Toshiro stood in front of the former captain of division three, his blade to his neck. "Don't you _ever_ speak her name again, traitor."

"Now now, Hitsugaya-taichou, you'd better lower your weapon." Gin drawled, Shinso's blade blocking Hyorinmaru. "You don't wanna delay your reunion with her, do ya?"

The white-haired man growled as he moved backward, lowering Hyorinmaru. Ryo and Sage finally caught up to him and pulled to a stop. Toshiro glared at the traitor who continued to grin at them. Ryo and Sage exchanged glances before returning their attention to both men in front of them.

"Wise move. I'll be seeing you around, Whitey. It's time for me to go."

Toshiro fumed as Gin disappeared into the shadows. As soon as he was gone, the captain took off after him. The Ronins were right behind him as they entered the main chamber. Byakuya, Kenpachi, Yuroichi, Urahara, Shuten and the other Ronins were already there. When he reunited with the group, that's when he felt it.

The massive eruption of spiritual pressure stopped Toshiro in his tracks. He twisted towards the forest next to the palace and stared at the blinding white dome appearing over it. Kenpachi and Byakuya came to a stop next to him. Everyone within the innermost sanctum of the labyrinth stopped and stared.

"That spiritual pressure…" Toshiro murmured.

"Claudia," Kenpachi confirmed as the Ronins ran up to the stunned captains.

"Her bankai?" Toshiro questioned as he noticed almost all of the group had reunited, save Claudia, Ichigo and…Renji! Toshiro gasped in surprise. "Renji!"

"His spiritual pressure is barely there," Byakuya said stoically. "He has fallen,"

"Look at the soldiers!" Uryu Ishida cried out, pointing at the throbbing mass that had begun to surround them. "They're dissolving!"

"They were connected to the arrancar," Yuroichi pointed out. "They're fading because the arrancar has been defeated. He must have been the one to attack Renji. Claudia has put an end to that."

By the time they reached the gate, it was already closing. Gin, as well as Tosen, was standing on the inside looking out at them. The silver-haired man waved out at Toshiro, the eternal grin forever plastered on his face.

"Another time, Hitsugaya-taichou. You still owe me for the uprising."

The warlords quickly joined the two traitors within the gates. They were leering out at the others as the gates continued to close.

"Brothers!" Shuten growled, stepping forward. "Would you fall so easily into your past lives? Talpa controlled you just as Aizen now controls you. This life is no different from the last! Do not join them!"

Sekhmet laughed as he backed into the gate to stand between Gin and Tosen.

"He only wants your armors!" Shuten protested, but now Cale laughed and backed into the gate.

"Goodbye, Dark Warlord of Cruelty. We shall meet again. You shall see,"

Shuten growled and thrust his kusari-gama forward, but the chain slammed into a wall of rock solid gate. It had closed, taking everything with it.

The palace quaked, shook on its foundation.

"We must leave," Shuten muttered, turning back towards the angry group behind him. "We must leave before the gates close on us!"

...

_I sit reflecting_

_I feel the end has begun_

_It seems my days now mirror the setting sun_

_So many places that I have been_

_This ride that was long seems so short in terms of now and then_

Mia's house was filled once everyone had returned. Ikkaku and Yumichika were eating heartily in the kitchen with Kento and Ichigo. Inoue was healing some of the minor wounds that had been dealt during the battle. Rowen was one such case. He watched the girl as she went about her work diligently. The method she used was different from Sage's and hurt considerably less.

Sage was sitting on the stairs staring out the open front door. All of the Ronins seemed to be in a daze at coming back without one of their teammates. Kima had been their first casualty of war. Ryo was on the porch with Cye, who had refused treatment for his cuts and bruises. Byakuya and Kenpachi had returned to Soul Society, leaving Yachiru and the newly arrived Rangiku to finish things up. Uryu listened patiently as they twittered back and forth.

"I knew this would happen." The strawberry blonde sighed in a sullen fashion. "I told Hinamori-kun that this would end up with taichou being hurt."

Yachiru cocked her head to the side. "I think Whitey-chan knew that. From what I hear, he loves X-chan very much. He would've felt the same no matter what."

"That girl has caused him more harm than good. I hope she treats him right." Rangiku stated, crossing her arms over her massive chest. "I'll kill her if she hurts him."

"I don't think you have to worry about X-chan. Whitey-chan is in good hands." the pink-haired girl commented, giving a wide smile.

Rangiku just shook her head. "Hitsugaya-taichou is in so much pain right now. I can't stand to see him like this."

It was finally Uryu's turn to speak up. "Matsumoto-san, I might be out of place, but I couldn't help but overhear." Pushing his glasses off the bridge of his nose, he spoke again. "I realize that you're upset and worried about Hitsugaya-taichou. The shock of Kima-san's death, no matter how anticipated, is still a shock to him. Kima-san may not be gone forever, but losing her will be painful for him until he can go back to Soul Society and find her."

Rangiku nodded silently as she stared at the floor. It was Yachiru who actually said something. "Thanks, Quincy! You're actually very helpful!"

Uryu's eye twitched a bit. "You're welcome."

_For all that has been_

_And all that is_

_All that's to be_

_Lord, I'm just killing time_

_And time's killing me_

Mia watched out of the kitchen window with her face soaked by her tears. Yulie was a bit taken aback by the whole situation, so he was content to remain quiet and hold her hand for support. Shuten came into her vision holding the object of her tears. A whole new wave hit her and a sob escaped one after the other as she saw her friend's broken body in his arms. How had it come to this?

Toshiro looked up from his place on the back steps. His eyes were empty as they locked onto Kima's lifeless body as it lay in Shuten's arms. The Ancient met his gaze with a sullen expression. He had a plan for Kima's last respects, but he wasn't sure the captain would agree with him. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.

"I know this is the last thing you want to talk about, Hitsugaya-san, but it needs to be said."

"Go on." Toshiro muttered.

Shuten nodded before continuing. "The only way to bring peace to the armor so that it might release Kima is to return it to its resting place. I would ask you for your help."

The white-haired captain nodded. "I'll do what I can, Doji-san."

"I would ask you for your assistance with your shunpo ability. The resting place of the armor of Destruction is a cave in the mountains of Sendai known as the Mouth of Hell. It is said to run very deep and no one has ever been able to find the end." The Ancient explained.

"I'll help you." Toshiro agreed. "But…I don't know how much."

"Understood."

Rising to his feet, Toshiro made his way over to Shuten. He was more hesitant the closer he got. It looked as if the blonde were only sleeping and would wake at any moment. Then he noticed blood-crusted chest plate and the wound in her chest. That was the truth of it. She wasn't coming back.

A sigh escaped his lips as he placed his hand on Shuten's elbow. It seemed like seconds had passed when they were standing on the rocky terrain of the mountain. Toshiro saw the gaping black maw of the cave and felt a shiver creep up his spine. There was definitely some type of spiritual presence here. After all, it was the armor's resting place.

"I'm going to place Kima inside the cave. Would you like to accompany me, Hitsugaya-san?"

Toshiro seemed to have tuned him out as he felt a knot forming in his chest, making it harder for him to breathe. He reached out, brushing a few stray wisps of hair from her face, his fingers tracing down the side of her face. The knot that had grown in his chest was now seeming to put off its own heat that was spreading. He slowly shook his head.

"No. I don't think I will. I'll return on my own."

_Dead man breathing, just taking up space_

_Calloused and weathered like the lines on one's face_

_Dead man breathing, my conscience is bare_

_The lining of my soul is torn yet I no longer care_

It had taken him no time at all to return to Mia's and he'd stopped once he'd entered Kima's room. The door was closed so no noise was entering from downstairs; not that there was much noise to begin with. The room was dark and, with his current mood, comfortably cold. Toshiro sighed heavily as he trudged to the bed and took a seat, running his hand through his spiky hair.

Kima's bag was still sitting at the foot of the bed where she'd left it. A few odds and ends had been thrown about on the floor beside it. Her scent was still embedded in the sheets. Toshiro squeezed his eyes closed. Why was he putting himself through this? He would return to his duties in Soul Society and he would go to Rukongai and find her. She wasn't lost. Still, the fact that he knew that this was going to happen hadn't made the event any easier. In fact, knowing had made it worse. After that, Toshiro wiped his mind of all thought. It was too hard to think right now.

He heard the door crack open and knew that it had to be Shuten. Sure enough, the Ancient was in front of him without a word. The unsure look on his face showed the reluctance to speak. Toshiro looked up to meet his gaze only to see his arm extended toward him, something grasped tightly in his fingers.

Shuten slowly released the small black orb that was no bigger than a marble into his hand. A serious expression had taken over his face as he moved to leave. "This will be yours until Kima can have it again. I'm very sorry for your loss, Hitsugaya-san."

Even after the Ancient was gone, Toshiro stared intently at the orb he now possessed. This was what Aizen was after? He wanted the power that this small object possessed? He clutched the orb in his fist angrily as he walked out onto the balcony where he could see the stars. The moon's glow was almost blinding as he ascended to the roof.

Taking a seat on the shingles, the captain drew his knees closer to his body as he'd seen Kima do many times. As sad smile curved his lips, he swore that she was standing there with him. Toshiro's grief seemed to consume him as he hid his head in his arms, still maintaining his grip on the kanji orb. Aizen would be after Kima's armor. He had to make sure that he didn't get it. The captain would make sure that the traitors would never taint her armor ever again.

_For all that has been_

_And all that is_

_All that's to be_

_Lord, I'm just killing time_

_And time's killing me_

...

End Chapter


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Sage stared through the window of the den at Claudia. She was sitting on the front porch steps in place of Ryo and Cye who had ventured back inside quite suddenly. She was leaning forward on her knees, her cell phone clutched in her hand. She'd pulled her hair back a bit, removing most of the dark brown locks from her face. She looked so…lost.

"She's a mess," Sage murmured as Rowen joined him at the window. "And I can't say that I blame her. Do they seriously think Renji will live through this? Those injuries…" Sage turned his head to look back out through the window, frowning as it began to rain. "Doesn't it do more harm to give her false hope? I mean, look at her! There's no life in her. She's just a blank page in a book right now,"

Rowen sighed quietly as he gazed out at her. "She does look miserable and I can't blame her either. Seeing him hurt and not being able to help him, it has to be killing her. And I agree, I really don't see how Renji could possibly be all right,"

"Soul Reapers are tough cookies," Ichigo said from behind them. He didn't look at either one of them, he was staring out through the clouded window to Claudia. "I've seen Renji come back from worse, believe me,"

"From worse?" Sage asked, not convinced in the slightest.

"Yeah," Ichigo rolled his shoulder and huffed quietly. "It isn't the first time he's nearly died. I nearly killed him last year, so did Byakuya. He came back from those injuries stronger than ever. He'll come back from this. He's already healing. Minazuki's special technique is that whenever she engulfs an injured being, their more fatal injuries heal while inside of her. The life threatening injuries are healed, but the rest will take time,"

Sage and Rowen stared at him then looked back out through the window. Could that be true?

"Inoue passed out!" Uryu suddenly cried and the trio at the window turned to see the woman clutched against the Quincy's chest.

"She's spent," Shuten murmured from the corner of the room where he was sitting on the floor with White Blaze. "Let her rest. She's done enough healing for tonight,"

Kento moved off the couch to help Uryu get Orihime across the hall to the guest room to tuck her in. Ryo sighed quietly and went into the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with a half full bottle of tequila and two bottles of sake.

"I think we all could use a bit of a pick-me-up,"

"No thanks," Ichigo murmured, as he leaned against the window sill and looked back out at Claudia.

"Someone should sit with her," Rowen murmured quietly. "She's scared to death. She shouldn't be out there alone."

"She's not alone," Ichigo whispered, sighing quietly. "Zaraki-taichou is out there,"

"He stayed? Everyone else went back, didn't they?"

"Most of them," Ichigo agreed. "Unohana-taichou, Zaraki-taichou, Hanataro and Ikkaku are the only ones still here aside from Toshiro, Rangiku and Yachiru. Urahara and Yuroichi will head back to Karakura Town in the morning. We probably will, too, but I want to stay until Renji wakes up."

"Wakes up?" Sage gasped. "You really think he will? This soon?"

"Probably will in a few hours. He's a stubborn ox. Besides, I told you, Soul Reapers are tough cookies. Even I have come back from some serious injuries before. It's not easy, this line of work, so you learn to toughen up after a while. You find yourself tolerating and surviving more and more as time goes on. Renji will be fine, he just needs to fully heal. Believe me, he'll be back to his old self again in no time,"

"And what about Claudia? How many times has she been told since we all got back that he's going to be okay? She doesn't look at all like the reassurances are helping her," Sage muttered, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm not entirely convinced she can handle your 'line of work', Ichigo."

"You've seen her fight, Sage. She's been training for this all of her life. Any other person, me for instance, and it wouldn't have affected her as badly. She loves Renji, so it hit her hard when she saw him fall. She can handle it, she's handling it now, she just needs a little support because she's not used to it." Ichigo pushed off from the window and turned away as he saw Zaraki coming up through the rain to sit next to her on the porch. "She'll get through it. Have faith in her,"

...

Claudia stared blankly at the cell phone crushed between her hands, her lips parted slightly, her body as still as stone. She couldn't cry anymore, she'd cried her tear ducts dry already. She couldn't really think any more either. All she could do was stare, worry, and wait. They kept telling her he would be fine, that he was already healing and coming back from it, that he'd suffered worse several times before.

But how could she even hope he'd be okay considering the state he was in? He was so pale, so weak. He was in pain but he couldn't wake up, could barely breathe. He'd lost so much blood from the moment the blade had pierced him until now, that his heart was barely beating.

He would be all right? How?

The rain had just begun to fall from the sky when her fingers curled around her phone and her shoulders shuddered violently as she silently began to cry again. The dark locks of hair she'd pulled back from her face came loose and fell forward as the rain water splashed onto it from a crack in the roof of the porch. She buried her face in her left hand and wrenched her eyes closed, willing the horrifying image to go away, to close out the world and the sound of his cry, of his pain, of the sound the sword had made as it had torn through him. The look on his face as he'd stared over at her.

And then seeing him in that bed, bruised and battered and barely alive while Hanataro and Unohana scrambled to clean and bandage all of his wounds. The pain at the sight of it, the whispered words of reassurance from Ikkaku when she'd panicked over seeing it. She hadn't been able to take it, so she ran.

The rain lasted maybe five minutes, sufficient enough to dampen the air and the ground, but not enough to really be noticed. It was a weaker shower, dropped by a dark cloud as it passed across the starry sky.

Footsteps in the distance drew her eyes open and she was surprised that a few tears managed to slip down her cheeks. She still had a few more to cry after all…

"The phone will do you no good if you crush it,"

Claudia's fingers loosened over the cold piece of electronic carpentry and she lifted her head a little so that Zaraki-taichou could see her a little more clearly. There were still tears, but her face was blank, stuck in a hollowed, lost expression.

"Why don't you use it?"

Claudia licked her lips and shook her head. "I'm too much of a coward,"

"Had me fooled," Kenpachi muttered as he came to a stop a foot from the bottom step of the porch and glared down at her. "You're holding it with the intent on using it, so use it,"

"I can't," Claudia murmured, unable to meet his eyes. "Not tonight,"

"Then why do you have it?"

"Something to hold onto," She whispered, the lump in her throat rising again. She fought to keep the misery and the grief away. Kenpachi was the last person she wanted to show weakness to, but she didn't really know why. Nothing could hurt her at this point after what had happened to Renji. What else could possibly be taken from her?

Claudia reached up and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, turning her head away from him. When he just stood there in silence, Claudia's control slipped at last and she let the cell phone clatter down the steps and into the wet grass while she sobbed into her hands relentlessly, barely able to draw a full breath.

"Onii-chan?" Yachiru peeked out through the open front door and frowned at the shuddering, hunched form of the older woman, hearing the depth of the grief and the pain. In a second she was behind her, her tiny arms wrapped around the woman's shoulders, squeezing tight.

"Please don't cry, Onii-chan! Abarai-kun will get better!" Yachiru insisted, turning her huge child's eyes upwards to Kenpachi. "Right Kenny!"

"Hm," Kenpachi nodded.

"See, Onii-chan?" Yachiru said as she loosened her hold on Claudia's shoulders. "If Kenny says he's going to be fine, then he really is! You'll see!"

Ikkaku and Yumichika slipped out onto the porch then, both with bottles of some kind of alcoholic beverage in their hands.

"Here," Ikkaku bent down and shoved a shot glass underneath Claudia's nose, smiling broadly. "This'll help!"

Claudia reached out and took the glass, downing the shot and taking it like a champ. It wasn't smooth, but the burning sensation in her throat as it went down helped to clear her head a bit and she held it out for another.

"Patron," Ikkaku offered when she glanced at the bottle. "You sure you want a third?"

She nodded and once that shot was down, she passed on the glass and leaned back on her elbows on the steps. She was calmer, clearly everything they'd done had helped quite a bit, but it would be a good while before she was all right.

Zaraki's face remained carefully neutral as he met her clouded gaze. _He'd better wake up soon or she'll fall apart._

"That's better, onii-chan!"

Claudia actually smiled a little as she looked over at the tiny, pink haired lieutenant. "Since when did you start calling me sister?"

"Well, you are!" Yachiru grinned widely at Claudia before turning that grin onto Kenpachi. "Isn't she, Kenny?"

Claudia chuckled as Kenpachi nodded his head slowly. "Sister it is then,"

"Yay!" Yachiru clapped her hands then hugged Claudia again before dancing her way back into the house to see what Rangiku, Mia and the other women were doing. She was pleased to see that Yuroichi and Lady Kayura were still up and were gathered around with everyone else.

"Everyone should cheer up!" Yachiru announced very seriously. "A great battle has been won!"

"Won?" Ryo muttered, shaking his head. "What are you talking about? We didn't accomplish anything!"

Yachiru reached up and smacked him on the head. "Baka! Claudia killed the arrancar! Dais is also gone! That's two big enemies we've gotten rid of!"

"Both of them were killed by Claudia. Notice how there's no _we_ in that?"

Yachiru reached out and decked Ryo again for good measure. "Stupid! We all helped! We all made it back alive,"

"Not all of us,"

Now Kento earned a good smack. "We knew Kima-san was going to pass, but she's in the Soul Society now. We'll see her again! You all stop moping and being sad! There's enough sadness from Claudia and Hitsugaya-taichou for all of us!"

"Hitsugaya-taichou," Cye grumbled bitterly. "To hell with him! He acts as if he's the only one who feels the grief of her passing! He acts as if he's the only one that cared about her, that he's the only person who Kima really loved! Well I've got news for him, he's not! I loved Kima! I loved her very deeply and I'll be damned if-"

Cye fell back into the couch with an outcry of pain and clutched his broken, bleeding nose with both hands.

"Why don't you have a little more to drink and shut your whining mouth?" Claudia shouted at him as she rubbed her torn knuckles, grasping Yachiru's tiny hand as she pulled the pink haired girl behind her protectively. "You asshole! Show some fucking respect! Kima is dead and her blood has barely dried on the ground and you're acting like some spoiled rotten drama queen! We all feel her loss! Some of us just handle it differently!"

Cye stared up at her, struggling to breathe through his mouth while at the same time trying not to let the blood seep in.

"Do you really think we could have gotten this far without Toshiro's help? Without Renji and Kenpachi and Byakuya? Without any of these people?" Claudia demanded as Ikkaku, Yumichika and Kenpachi flooded into the room.

"He could have stopped her,"

"Kima made the decision on how to give back your armors before she met Hitsugaya-sama," Shuten pointed out from the corner of the room.

"With no help from you!" Cye seemed to be getting a little dramatic so before Claudia could break his face, Urahara casually stuck him in the back with a suspicious looking object. He grinned as Cye slumped forward on the couch.

"That's enough of that," He said cheerfully. "I think we're all getting a little wound up. Besides, Yachiru was right. Despite what everyone might think, we have gained quite the victory. It's not over. Not by a long shot, but we've gotten through the first wave. All we can do now is train and prepare for the next one,"

Claudia left the room shortly after that and headed upstairs with a bottle of hot sake she'd snatched from the kitchen before Cye's bitter outburst, pausing in the hallway in front of the closed door into the bedroom she'd shared with Renji. Even through the closed door, she could hear the labored breathing and the quiet whimpers. Hanataro and Unohana were still working and she still couldn't bring herself to go back into the room, so she turned and headed for the stairs into the attic.

Toshiro was there, hunched over in quiet pain, his face pressed into his arms, the fingers of his right hand clutched tightly around something. She stared at his hand for a moment before frowning. It must have been Kima's armor orb, but she couldn't sense the spiritual presence that it usually would exude. His spiritual pressure must have been masking it.

Claudia sighed quietly as she carefully climbed through the attic window and moved along the sloping roof to sit next to the short, spiky white haired captain, while still trying to keep from spilling the bottle of hot sake she held in her other hand.

"Thought you could use a little nightcap. Figured I'd grab a bottle before the boys finished them all off. It's a drunken emotive party down stairs," Claudia chuckled quietly as she poured a shot and handed the bottle to Toshiro who reached out for it and took several long sips of it. He set the bottle between them and continued to stare out towards the trees. The Dynasty gate was gone now and there were no physical signs on the ground around where it had been that it had ever been there.

"What happened to your hand?"

"Mouri got mouthy." Claudia said simply as she knocked back another shot.

He noticed the worried look on her face and nudged the bottle back towards her.

"How is Renji?"

"Better, thanks to squad four," Claudia murmured as she poured herself another shot and followed his gaze out to the trees. "I still can't wrap my head around that word. Better? After what happened, after those injuries…" Claudia shuddered a little and looked away. "Unohana-taichou wants to get him back to the Seireitei as soon as possible to help the healing process along more quickly."

"Will you be joining us?"

"Yeah. According to Kenny, wherever Renji goes, so goes Claudia,"

Toshiro gave a hint of a small smile as he reached for the bottle of sake again. "I think you've found a big brother in Kenpachi-taichou."

"Must be why Yachiru is suddenly calling me sister. Oh hooray," Claudia muttered as she leaned back on her elbows. "She's not gone you know. She's in the Soul Society. We'll all see her again soon,"

Toshiro nodded, frowning. "We'll have to find her first. There's no telling where in Rukongai she ended up or how far from the Seireitei she is,"

"It's Kima, she'll just march straight up to the gate and break it down," Claudia giggled, smiling. The alcohol was definitely helping to calm her down. "She'll make it easy for us to find her,"

Now Toshiro actually laughed a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Toshiro shifted on the rooftop to lie back on the shingles next to her, his arms folded behind his head while he stared up at the stars. "Claudia, I meant to ask earlier…your bankai…"

Claudia blinked and glanced over at him. "What about it?"

"You were only training with Byakuya for a few hours. How did you manage to learn bankai in such a short amount of time? Renji and Ichigo learned it in a few days and that was a feat no one expected to ever see accomplished, but a few hours? How did you do it?"

Claudia shrugged, looking away. "Byakuya said I learned Bankai or I died. I chose not to die, but it hurt. It hurt like hell. That zanpakuto of his is a wicked thing. I thought my fight with Kenny was hard all those days ago, but fighting Byakuya was a totally different experience. Even if Kenny had been fighting with the intent on killing, which we both know he was, it wasn't the same as with Byakuya. He's got a deadly kind of grace that scares the shit out of me. Don't tell Kenny, but I'd rather fight him to the death than Byakuya any day. Kenny doesn't scare me, not like Byakuya does." Claudia took a deep breath. "But to be honest, Toshiro, I didn't actually manage bankai with Byakuya. Sarubimaru just wouldn't form all of the way. I'd get part of the way there and then collapse. It was like the energy had been completely sucked out of me. But Byakuya wasn't satisfied until I managed to cut him. Renji told me when he fought Byakuya last year that he nearly died just trying to cut him, but that he'd managed it in the end."

"I wasn't there earlier today, so I don't know what happened, but you managed your bankai. I talked to Ichigo, he said the look on your face scared the hell out of him, so much that his own bankai slipped away. He said there was something in your eyes, something so wild and furious that he couldn't breathe to see it,"

Claudia shuddered a little at his description of the event. "I wondered what could have shocked him so much that he'd lose his hold on his bankai."

"What happened, Claudia?"

She shuddered again. "Renji told me once before that the Menos Grande was hard to defeat, even for a captain sometimes. So when it appeared I got worried. Renji fought it on his own for a while and Ichigo and I took care of the nether soldiers and the hollows. In the end, it took his bankai to get rid of it. And he did, but even then he struggled. He was hurt, his arm had been sliced open, but he won, took the whole injury like a champ. We didn't even get a chance to enjoy or acknowledge the victory before…" Claudia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I wasn't facing him when I heard that god-awful sound. The sound of a sword ripping through flesh and bone. I heard Renji cry out, Ichigo curse, and then that sound again. And then the arrancar started laughing. _Laughing_." Toshiro could feel the heat rising from her as she remembered the events and he reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, using the cool temperature of his body to keep her calm. "When I turned around to see what the hell had happened…there was blood, so much of it, everywhere. Renji was so pale, so motionless and he was staring right at me. And before I could even comprehend what I was seeing, that son of a bitch drove his sword through Renji again. I was completely frozen in shock and he just fell. Seeing it…seeing him lying there so pale, dying, I couldn't take it. Something in me just completely snapped."

"Ichigo said he didn't actually see what your bankai did. He said your spiritual energy was too wild and uncontrolled and way too bright for him to see. So he chose to shield Renji and use his own spiritual energy to keep him alive for you. Claudia, what does your bankai do?"

"I always wondered about the form my zanpakuto took," Claudia murmured as she took a swig of the cooling sake. It burned down her throat, but she savored the feeling. "Byakuya said the blade's shape was mostly due to my spiritual pressure, but that the chain of spiritual energy that binds them when I attack is a trait handed down through my family. Shuten's kusari-gama, for instance, inspired Sarubimaru I guess. Anyway, when it comes to my bankai, it's very similar to Byakuya's Senbonzakura in a way. When I called on the bankai, the blades completely disappeared. All I was holding was a very solid very heavy chain. The blades had evaporated into the air, but I could still see the bits and pieces floating in the mist around me. They glowed with my spiritual energy and I could see that there were millions of them, millions of tiny, sharp blades. And there was this weird hook at the end of the chain that glowed with my spiritual energy. I didn't even think about it really, I just slung it towards the arrancar and attacked him head on. When the chain started flying towards him, it became intangible so that he couldn't destroy it. Then it wrapped around him and solidified again. Once the hook at the end of the chain slipped into place within the links, all those millions of tiny blades seemed to be drawn to him like magnets. They moved so fast even I had trouble seeing the movement. And then it was over,"

Toshiro smirked a little. "That's why you didn't bring Dorian's body back,"

"There was no body _to_ bring back," Claudia muttered, looking away. "After that I was done. I was done fighting. I didn't care anymore. If Renji was dead what was the point? So I stopped, fell by his body and just lay there crying. Renji was still breathing, but it was so shallow and his heartbeat was so faint… When that kid from squad four and Unohana showed up and started tending his wounds… I didn't expect any good news. But then Ikkaku said with a little rest that Renji would be fine,"

"Hanataro is a very talented little healer," Toshiro admitted as he released her wrist, satisfied that she had control over her anger again.

"Yeah, he is," Claudia murmured, sighing heavily. "Then Unohana-taichou put Renji into Minazuki's mouth and said that would help heal his more fatal injuries. She brought us back here. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for the last battle,"

"What are you talking about, Claudia? Your battle _was_ the last battle," Toshiro stared over at her. "Didn't you know? As soon as you killed that arrancar, all of the nether soldiers disintegrated. All that were left were lower level hollows and that didn't take much at all to handle,"

"What? You're serious?"

Toshiro nodded and looked back out towards the forest. "All of those soldiers were connected to the arrancar. They were like puppets. Once the puppeteer was gone, the puppets could no longer move. They evaporated. It didn't matter in the long run. Aizen still managed to punch a gate through into the Seireitei. Once that happened, the gates around the world began to disappear. We got the hell out before this gate could close on us. Several of us were hurt, but we're pretty tough soul reapers, so we made it out pretty well. The Ronins are bruised and battered, but judging from the party down below, no worse for the wear."

"You sound surprised,"

"I doubted them. After Kima passed, I doubted them," Toshiro admitted before sitting upright again. "But when they joined efforts and created that Inferno armor, my doubt was vanquished. That armor is fierce and unbelievable."

"Kima said it would definitely be something to see. I'm sorry I missed it," Claudia glanced up when a shadow fell over them, staring up into Urahara's grinning face. "Someone's getting into the party spirit. Just how much of that sake did you have?"

"Not sake, rum,"

Toshiro and Claudia grinned and announced at the same time, "why is the rum gone?" then proceeded to laugh out loud at themselves. Urahara blinked at the two in amazement for a moment before he stumbled forward and wedged himself in between them. At least the sake was loosening them up.

"How's your arm?" Toshiro questioned as he glanced over at the injured former captain.

"It's fine. Almost good as new!" Urahara grinned again before draping a friendly arm around Claudia's shoulders and letting out an obnoxious sigh. "How are you feeling, beautiful?"

"Like I could punch a drunken shop owner down the side of a two story house," Claudia muttered with a lazy shrug as she smiled and removed his uninjured arm from around her shoulders. It was too much like what Renji usually did, and even the alcohol couldn't make that go away. If any arm was going to be draped like that over her shoulders, she wanted it to be Renji's. "Will you be going with us to the Seireitei?"

Urahara snorted and shook his head, his green and white hat falling a little further down on his face. "Nope. I'll be heading back to Urahara Shoten in the morning. I can't afford to lose any more business. Besides, I was exiled, remember?"

"I'm sure they'd make an exception considering all of the help you've given us. Besides, didn't Aizen frame you?"

"Yes, but that was only part of the reason I was exiled. I created the Hogyoku, remember? And now Aizen has it."

"What do you think he plans to do with it?"

"If that arrancar was any indication, I'd say we should expect to see more of their kind in the near future. The one that took Dorian's body was incredibly strong for an arrancar, meaning Aizen is trying to perfect them. I had a bad feeling that this situation may be over for now but will be much worse in the future. We're going to need the help of the Ronin Warriors again, that much I know."

"I never asked, did Aizen ever show his face?"

"No," Urahara said grimly. "But Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen did. As the gate to Hueco Mundo closed, we saw them standing there just beyond it. They wanted us to see them so that we would know they were there. They took Cale and Sekhmet back with them before the Dynasty began to collapse. You were right, Claudia. Aizen does want their armors. If I were you, I'd hold onto Dais' a little longer,"

Claudia flinched as Toshiro turned an icy stare in her direction. "He gave you his armor?"

"Yes,"

"And you didn't think to mention this to anyone?"

"I didn't exactly have time to explain. Besides, I didn't think it was important so long as Aizen didn't come after it. He probably doesn't even know I have it,"

"Your spiritual pressure must be masking its power. I can sense the Ronins' armor orbs but I can't sense Dais'. It's a good bet that Aizen doesn't know you have it," Urahara pointed out with a shrug as he draped his arm back over her shoulder and squeezed her.

"Pardon my intrusion," The three turned to look over their shoulders at captain Unohana as she approached them on the rooftop. "Claudia, Renji is awake and he's asking for you,"

"He's awake? Are you kidding?" Claudia moved to get up and growled as Urahara decided to give her a "hand" in light of her drunken lack of balance. "You pervert! Let me go!" She tore away from him and sent her bare foot into his back right between his shoulders, sending him careening down the side of the house and into the yard. "You jerk!"

Toshiro cracked a smile while Unohana giggled quietly. Claudia wasn't amused at all, considering the reason she'd jumped up so quickly.

Toshiro leaned over the side of the roof to smirk down at Urahara's twitching form. "That's what you get for messing with Claudia like that! I told you not to push your luck!"

"That was hot, shut up!" Urahara called back up, grinning stupidly from his place in the grass. He didn't need to be allowed near any more alcohol for the remainder of the night. He was a pervert without it, but that added bit of mindlessness just amplified it. Claudia growled again as she stomped up the roof and went back in through the attic window, Unohana following her closely and quietly.

"Renji hasn't had the proper time to heal. He is still very weak and is still having some trouble breathing. He's fighting the healing kido I placed on him. Claudia-sama, he needs to rest so make sure he stays as still and as calm as possible until the kido's effects finally take him,"

Claudia nodded as Unohana opened the door to the room where they'd put Renji when they'd gotten back to the house and she slipped quietly inside. Unohana was right, he was still having a hard time breathing, so he wasn't aware she was in the room until she walked around the bed and plopped into the chair next to it. Hanataro scrambled nervously out of the room, sure the two would want to keep the conversation as private as possible.

"Hanataro!" Claudia called, grinning nastily. "You might want to run outside real quick and patch up Urahara. I think I may have kicked him over the edge,"

The short black haired boy from squad four blinked in confusion before he nodded, bowed and bounded through the door. Claudia snorted a little before she turned her attention back to Renji and saw that he'd turned his head to look at her. He was still so pale and looked like he was still in a good bit of pain from his injuries. Of course, if he hadn't been, she'd be a little worried that he might have been paralyzed so, odd as it seemed, she was grateful to see the pain creasing his brow.

"Hey stranger," She said gently as she leaned forward and combed the red locks of hair from his face with her shaking fingers. The alcohol wasn't enough to muddle her emotions now. He was awake. He was getting better. He was actually going to pull through like Unohana and everyone else had promised. She smiled, and the tears spilled free again. "You're supposed to be asleep,"

He just watched her, reaching up with a shaking hand to cup hers against his face, his eyes closing. He was savoring the feel of her skin on his, a welcomed change to the pain that bombarded his body.

"Y-you're…a-all r-right?"

Claudia nodded and smiled softly at him while he struggled to get his fingers around hers.

"Slow down, Renji," She whispered as she slipped her fingers between his and squeezed hard enough that he'd know she had him. "I'm here, it's all right. I'm not going anywhere,"

"I'm s-sorry…I c-couldn't-"

"Shut up," She grumbled as she rolled her eyes and fell backwards against the back of her chair to glare at him. "Don't start that crap. That stupid fucking arrancar took us all by surprise. You can't help what happened. Besides, I took care of it. I managed my bankai, Renji,"

He stared at her but he was struggling too hard to swallow and breathe to actually voice a response. Claudia sighed quietly in disdain. She'd never seen him in so much pain. She'd never seen him so helpless and desperate for her presence before. Claudia pulled her hand free from his, much to his distress, and moved to turn out the lights and pull the curtains over the balcony doors before she returned to the bed and crawled in beside him. She draped her left arm gently and carefully over his chest and felt the relief flowing off of him as he raised a hand to cling to her arm.

"You're s-scared,"

"Go back to sleep, Renji. We're going back to the Seireitei tomorrow so you can heal faster. Inoue would do it, but she's completely spent. She knocked out after she took care of the others." Claudia leaned forward and kissed him gently, before settling back down next to him. "Go back to sleep,"

...

Renji blinked his eyes open and stared up at the familiar ceiling of the squad four infirmary and groaned quietly in response to the pain that greeted him upon waking.

"The pain killers will kick in in just a few moments, Abarai-fukutaichou,"

Renji turned his head towards the voice and watched as Hanataro disposed of his old bandages, stained red with his blood.

"Thanks to Unohana-taichou, your injuries are healing much quicker now. You should be able to get up and move around again in a few hours," Hanataro took care of the basket of soiled bandages and disappeared for a few minutes, leaving Renji alone in the room. He was back in the Seireitei. How long had they been back? How long had he slept?

"You're awake,"

Renji blinked and stared over into Rukia's friendly face. She was leaning against the doorframe and was smiling at him, her arms crossed over her chest. Ikkaku Madarame was standing next to her, that same smug smile on his face.

"Rukia," Renji sighed quietly as he forced himself upright, much to Hanataro's loud disapproval. "I missed you on the battlefield,"

"I know," Rukia smirked a little, closing her eyes. "I had some training I needed to do before I could get back onto the battlefield. I'm still having a hard time getting back into shape after so long without my spiritual powers. Nice work on that Menos. Your bankai is getting stronger,"

"It was a little easier to control this time," Renji agreed, ignoring the pain that radiated from his torso. He was used to these fatal kinds of injuries nowadays anyway. He could bare it until the pain killers that Hanataro had mentioned finally kicked in. He also noticed how much easier it was to breathe now.

"I have to admit, Renji, that Claudia's bankai blew yours right out of the water. As similar as your zanpakuto might be, your bankai forms are completely different," Ikkaku mused as he leaned back against the doorframe opposite of Rukia, still smirking.

"Claudia?" Renji seemed to suddenly realize she wasn't in the room. Had she come back to the Seireitei with them? Had she even been allowed? "Where?"

"She's with the captains. Head Captain Yamamoto called a meeting earlier this morning. They've all been in session for a few hours now. Must be an interesting meeting," Ikkaku chuckled, grinning.

Renji looked down at his hands and frowned a little. Was this a good or bad thing?

...

Claudia shifted her weight between her feet and chewed on her bottom lip for a few moments while head captain Yamamoto stared her down ten feet in front of her. She was under scrutiny from all of the captains, save for the few she'd worked with in the past few weeks, but for some reason, this old man's stare was more nerve wracking than any of the others. How long had it been since she'd walked into this chamber and they'd all just stared at her? An hour? Two?

Didn't any of them ever talk? Of course it was obvious that old man Yama, as Shunsui had jokingly called him before they had come in for the meeting, was assessing her spiritual energy. She could feel the faintest touches of his as it danced over her skin, analyzing and assessing. Then, at long last, his gaze shifted and she could tell that he'd made some kind of decision about her and Claudia was dying to know just what that was.

"You have the vote of confidence from captains Zaraki, Kuchiki, Ukitake, Kyoraku and Unohana. It is very clear that they trust in you and your abilities. Gaining the trust of so many captains in such a short amount of time is almost unheard of. Especially for Kuchiki-taichou and Zaraki-taichou," Old Man Yama turned his gaze to the two captains, giving them an assessing look for a moment before he turned his attention back to Claudia. "As you are aware, there are three ways to gain the rank of Captain; The first is to take the captain proficiency test, which requires the ability to perform bankai. While it is clear that you have achieved this already, I have my doubts on your ability to summon it and control it. Your brief training with Kuchiki-taichou may have shown you that you had the ability to summon it, but it wasn't until Abarai-fukutaichou suffered fatal wounds that you were even able to summon it completely. This is something you will need to work on very carefully. I have already scheduled that training for you in the next few days." Old man Yama shifted a little on his feet, another decision made about her that he didn't care to share. "The second is to have personal recommendations from at least six captains and the approval from at least three of the remaining seven. As you may have noticed, we are short three captains at the moment. And while you may have the approval of five of our captains, it is not enough. Since you were not born within the Soul Society or formally trained in our arts, taking the captain proficiency test would be useless. Therefore, in order to give you the rank of captain, whether you want it or not, you are required to defeat a captain standing within this room in one-on-one combat. All of the Captains will be present for this battle, as well as at least two hundred witnesses from the opposing captain's division. Is this understood?"

"Yes," Claudia murmured, watching him very carefully.

"With that said, the captain you will face off with this afternoon will be," Claudia tensed a little but she had a feeling she already knew the answer. "Myself,"

There were a few quiet gasps from behind her, obviously not everyone had been expecting that, but Claudia merely smiled and bowed respectfully.

"And the time?"

"You have three hours to prepare, child. This will not be a battle to the death, but if you wish to join the ranks of the Shinigami as your great-grandfather, Teijiro Doji would so wish, you must satisfy me that you are worthy. You will willingly summon your bankai. When you can accomplish this, you will be granted the rank of captain, at which time I will determine which of the three captain-less divisions you will command. Please be aware that all three need quite a bit of work now. Their training was a bit lax in the beginning, I have discovered. You will be charged with whipping them into shape. I assume you'll be able to handle such a task should you achieve victory in our battle,"

Claudia nodded and bowed again as Old Man Yama dismissed the meeting. Once he was gone, she cocked her head to the side and glared over at Zaraki.

"What the hell are you so smug about?" She grumbled as she turned and matched his stride to the door and out into the warm air. "I have to fight the head captain and you get to sit around and watch it. This must make you very happy in the pants. It does, doesn't it?"

Zaraki grinned widely. "You fighting the head captain makes everyone happy in the pants. He's never found the need to fight someone directly to allow them the rank of captain. You should be honored. He must have revered Teijiro Doji a lot to have done this,"

"Remind me to thank my dearest grandfather for pointing this all out to everyone. Shuten and I will be having a few words when this is over and done with," Claudia muttered as she and Kenpachi headed in a roundabout path to the fourth company infirmary. Kenpachi sensed she'd probably need a few extra minutes to figure out how to inform Renji very gently about the situation. Poor guy would probably have a heart attack when he found out.

"SHE'S GOING TO WHAT?"

"Renji! Lie back down!" Rukia's voice drifted out through the doors and Claudia growled quietly in response. She and Kenpachi moved into the room slowly and upon seeing Renji trying to get out of bed, Claudia glided into the room and planted her foot right on his breast bone, sending him back onto the bed.

"Lie your ass down!" She shouted, glaring down at him while he just stared up at her, struggling to get back up and knock some sense into her.

"Are you crazy? You can't fight head captain Yamamoto! He's too strong!"

Claudia glared at him and removed her foot, shaking her head. "So much for having a little faith. Gee, thanks, Renji."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Uh-huh," She muttered as she folded her arms over her chest and sat at the end of his cot, her chin in the air and her face turned away from him. "Whatever."

"Claudia…"

She rolled her eyes and looked at him, frowning. "It's not like I picked him to fight. I'm ballsy but I don't have that much brass. Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do, but he says if I can willingly summon my bankai and control it against him, then he'll be satisfied,"

"Oh, well," Renji relaxed a little, smiling. "It shouldn't be a problem then,"

"Idiot," Kenpachi muttered. "It might be a bigger problem than you think,"

Renji blinked and stared up at Claudia. "What is he talking about? You said you used your bankai to stop that arrancar!"

"I did, but only because of you,"

"How do you mean?"

"I was only able to summon it because I was so upset and furious over what he'd done to you. If you hadn't been hurt like that, I might not have been able to summon it at all. Quite honestly, I don't think I can do it again,"

"C-Claudia!"

"It's true," Claudia shrugged a little. "Look, Renji, honestly, as long as he lets me stay, I don't care. I don't need to be a captain! I don't even really want it. I only just found out about all of this, what I can do, what I am."

"Shinketsu," Zaraki stated matter-of-factly, as if the simple fact that she was a true blood justified everything.

"Even so, Kenpachi, I don't really care. I don't have the proper training and I don't know half as much as the rest of you,"

"Never stopped him!" Ikkaku announced loudly. "Zaraki-taichou doesn't know any more than you! He gained the rank of captain the same way you will today! He's the only person to have ever done it before!"

Kenpachi reached out with his right hand and planted it on top of Ikkaku's shiny bald head, effectively face planting him into the floor.

"Shut up,"

"S-sorry, Zaraki-taichou!"

Claudia chuckled quietly and leaned back against the wall, wiggling a little as Renji's bony knees dug into her rump. "You need a cheeseburger," She muttered as she looked back at Kenpachi. "Is that true, Kenny, what Ikkaku said?"

"Of course," Kenpachi smirked at her and closed his eyes, his big arms folded over his broad chest. "No one else in the history of the shinigami has ever accomplished it. Most achieve the rank through the captain proficiency test or by being voted in by nine of the captains or all of them unanimously. Me, I just beat my way in."

"Hmm," Claudia reached out and absentmindedly traced circles around the hilt of her zanpakuto with her fingertips, lost completely in thought.

"Claudia?" Renji pushed himself up on his elbows, grateful that the pain killers were finally kicking in. That sharp pain was just a dull throb now, more tolerable than before. "You could decline,"

Her fingers stopped on her zanpakuto and she was quiet for a long minute before she turned and looked at him. She was silent for a moment longer before she smiled softly and shook her head.

"No I can't, Renji. Seeing the disappointment in your eyes isn't worth all of that. I'm not scared, I just don't know how I can possibly live up to his expectations. Teijiro must have been one hell of a shinigami to have gained so much respect and reverence from that old man. That's the reason he's wanting to fight me himself, right Zaraki-kun?"

Ikkaku's eyes went wide at the informal nickname, sure that Kenpachi would go after her for it, but he was even more surprised when Kenpachi just chuckled and nodded.

"That's what I gathered from what he was saying. He'll be fighting you and training you at the same time. He sees the potential in you just like the rest of us. He wants to nurture it, not diminish it. No, Claudia, by the time this fight is over you won't have anything to worry about except the idiots in the squad you end up with."

Claudia smiled a little. "Hitsugaya-taichou warned me that I'd be getting a big brother out of you,"

"Would you rather a father figure?"

She snorted. "Hell no! Oh, good night, I just got a sick image of you sitting in a rocking chair on a front porch with a shotgun because Renji brought me home late,"

Kenpachi howled in laughter, Rukia giggled uncontrollably and Ikkaku grinned stupidly. Renji just scowled because he knew Kenpachi would get a kick out of doing that.

"I can bring her home however late I damn well please, thank you much," He grumbled, glaring at the three having insane laughing fits across the room. "Oh, get out!"

Claudia laughed as Rukia herded the other two out of the room and shut the door behind them, leaving Claudia and Renji alone at last.

"Claudia, you can decline! You don't have to do this! I wouldn't be disappointed-"

"Liar, shut up," Claudia grumbled, driving a light, playful punch into his thigh. "I know you pretty well, Renji, and you'd be super giddy and excited if I got Captain, so don't even try to hide that."

"But I don't need-"

"That doesn't matter. Look, if the head captain wants to train me out of some old sense of obligation to great grand pappy Doji, then so be it. I'm not going to pass that up, besides, I could learn a lot from him. If I just so happen to get captain along the way, then great. Being a captain isn't something I care about in the long run. As long as I get to stay with you, wherever that may be, I'm good to go,"

Renji sighed quietly and nodded, relaxing back into the cot again.

"Am I going to have to drug you, Renji?"

"You are a drug, dammit!" He growled and she giggled. "I'll be there to watch it if I have to crawl all the way there!"

"Yeah, I thought you might say that," Claudia muttered, deciding to give his poor legs a break from her weight. She got up and sat down on the floor, pressing her back against the cot. Renji watched her silently for a moment before he reached out with his left arm and draped it around her shoulders.

"You'll be fine, Claudia. It's not going to be easy, but you're going to do fine out there."

She smiled softly and rested her head back as he gave her a gentle squeeze. "Thank you,"

...

_Two hundred people my ass. The whole fucking Soul Society is here._ Claudia scowled at the crowd that formed a giant circle around her and Yamamoto. She was nervous enough as it was, did they really have to add to it so obnoxiously?

She glared over at Renji where he stood with and half supported by Ikkaku and Rukia.

"Stubborn ass!" She called and folded her arms over her chest. It helped to calm her shaky nerves a bit so she was grateful when he snapped back with, "spoiled brat!"

When she smiled and shook her head, Renji smiled, too. She was loosening up a bit now, and remained so even as old man Yama decided it was time to begin. What had he been waiting for? Surely there was no one else in the Seireitei that had been late in getting to the scene? She didn't see that Shuten had arrived, joining the crowd to watch as well.

"Draw your zanpakuto!"

Claudia reached over her shoulder and pulled Sarubimaru from her back, blinking in slight surprise. It was so light in her hands now, it must have been because she was within the Soul Society. It would be even easier to use now than it had been in the human world.

She chuckled quietly. The human world. What a strange thing to think when she'd lived out most of her life there without even knowing she wasn't actually human.

_Feels like an episode of Doctor Who gone wrong._ She thought absently. When she looked up again, she saw that Yamamoto had removed his shihakusho. She smiled a little, clearly impressed. For an old man, he was in amazing shape.

"I know what you're thinking!" Ikkaku laughed out loud and she grinned as she looked over at him.

"I bet you don't!" There was a rush of wind and she struck out with Sarubimaru, one hand pressed against the flat side of the second blade as she turned her head to see Yamamoto on top of her, his own wicked zanpakuto bearing down on hers. The fight was on now. The crowd was completely silent as Yamamoto leapt backwards and attacked again. All joking aside now, Claudia focused completely on the task at hand. She had no idea at all what the head captain might throw at her but she was determined to be prepared, if that were even possible.

The fact that he wanted her to perform her bankai successfully against him, she knew whatever he planned to do wasn't going to be simple or easy to deal with. If it dealt with bankai it generally wasn't a good thing.

_I can feel it in the way your blood and heart beats_

_My body's cold and it thinks that I'm already gone_

_Or is it in the way your body moves_

_I'd like to tell you_

_But I think that you already know_

"Ryujin jakka!"

"Gallop Sarubimaru!"

The crowd was tense as the special abilities of the zanpakutos were released and entered the battle wildly. The ring of fire created by the head captain's zanpakuto was hot and intimidating, but Claudia had gone through too much to be scared by it. In all actuality, the only thing that scared her anymore was the thought of Renji possibly getting so devastatingly hurt again that he'd die on her. If someone as strong as Renji could fall the way he had, how easy would it be for her whom had had no formal or proper training? Everything she'd learned, she'd learned within the confined time frame of one month, and that hadn't been enough time at all to learn everything that she needed to. But thankfully Ichigo and Yoruichi, and a little from Byakuya, had been able to teach her a basic and effective flash step, so it made dodging some of the head captain's attacks much easier.

But as the time ticked on, the head captain's attacks grew much more intense and fierce while she struggled to put more strength behind her own. This was going to wind up being a pretty quick battle if she didn't get it together and fast.

_The words I drag out from your mouth speak_

_So listen up world, listen up world_

_In her vision I have given company_

_They see no evil in leading their bodies from home_

"What do you think, Kenny? Can she do it?" Yachiru was perched comfortably on his shoulder, using his head as her arm rest as she watched the intense battle taking place only 100 feet from them.

"She's lasted this long without trying for her bankai. It won't be easy, but yeah, I know she can." Kenpachi was smirking as he said it and he folded his arms over his chest as he watched the fight. Claudia had to be tired, but she didn't show it. "Woman's got some balls,"

"She's been taught by her brother all of her life how to fight, and we've taught her all that we could manage in that short month. She's ready," Renji said confidently, his red eyes glued to the playing field. "When the time comes, she'll get the job done. There's too much at stake,"

Kenpachi gave Renji a sideways glance before turning his attention back to the fight. Renji was right, she had a lot to accomplish here and this was just the first obstacle in making sure she got to stay. She might only just be beginning to realize it, but she'd been training for this her entire life. Dorian had to have known what they were or he wouldn't have pushed her so far.

"BANKAI!" Head captain Yamamoto's cry brought everyone to attention. Moment of truth.

_Believer, you'll leave her, in leaving them all_

_No but I don't buy it_

_Like anything you do, as anyone you are_

_Ten Speed, if I must... then I must_

_Believer, you'll leave her, in leaving them all_

_No but I don't buy it_

_Like anything you do, as anyone you are_

Claudia gasped as she was thrown backwards, hitting the ground hard and just barely managing to barrel roll to keep from getting slammed by the wicked ring of fire that came soaring after her. Old Man Yama didn't play. Not a bit.

She had barely a second to wipe the blood from her bottom lip before she had to roll away from another vicious attack. His method of training was similar to Kenpachi's, except there was a method behind it when Kenpachi just attacked with the ruthless intention of killing no matter what the cause. If you didn't win against Kenpachi it was because he killed you first. That was how he trained his company, it was how he had trained her that first time they had fought. So she knew how to avoid getting killed, she just didn't have a very effective way of fighting against someone so powerful.

She was starting to lose confidence in her ability to defend herself when the scenery around her suddenly changed.

"What the hell?" She stared around her, frozen as she stared across the rocky terrain and the dark purple sky that suddenly surrounded her. Where was she?

"This is your inner sanctum,"

Claudia whirled around and stared as Sarubimaru strode up to her and threw her head wildly for a moment.

"S-Sarubimaru?"

"Every shinigami has an inner sanctum. You've been here before. There's a reason this is your inner place,"

"The fields beyond our old house in the countryside. Dorian used to bring me here to practice all of those fighting techniques he taught me. The last time I was here with him, the sky was really dark like it is now,"

Sarubimaru bowed her head again.

"How did I get here? What about the fight?"

"This is a dimension outside of the real world. No time is passing at all." Sarubimaru moved forward and nudged Claudia gently and she reached up to stroke her zanpakuto's spirit form carefully. The flames of her mane didn't burn at all as Claudia touched them, but power flooded into her as she touched them.

"You can do this, Claudia," Not Sarubimaru's voice. Dorian's. As she whipped around to face him, she was suddenly back on the battlefield, throwing Sarubimaru out to stop yet another attack that sent her careening backwards.

_"You can do this, Claudia."_

_If written wrote me even chance_

_And the choice to save you_

_I wouldn't answer if it even had to ask_

_In her figure I've instilled a taste of my own_

_So listen up world, listen up world_

_To make it easier to take what life I'm owed_

_As the curse has returned from the hell of your_

_Heart and your soul_

Claudia's eyes were closed.

She stood stock still as the flame flew towards her. She could feel it's vicious, overwhelming heat, but still she remained unmoving. Something in her stirred, a warmth that flowed from the center of her chest and outward along her limbs. That warmth reached her fingertips, her toes, and flowed back up and into her chest, settling there, the thrumming warmth of her spiritual pressure beating in time with her heart. She could almost hear it. It was the most incredible feeling she'd ever had, like floating in the air at zero gravity with a thousand tiny feathers dancing along the nerve endings of her body. And then that warmth flowed outward along her arms and into her zanpakuto.

The fire was almost upon her now, but she didn't move, not until the last second.

Her senses keenly attuned now, she heard Renji's sharp intake of breath as the flames danced close enough to singe her shihakusho. Her eyes opened.

"Bankai,"

Spiritual energy erupted in a torrent around her body, shooting upwards into the air as the blades of Sarubimaru dissolved into particles, floating freely through the air. She barely gave the chain enough time to fully form before she whipped it mercilessly towards head captain Yamamoto.

The crowd was dead silent and she could see the look on Renji's face out of the corner of her eyes. He was stunned by the form and technique of her bankai, but there was so much pride in his eyes that that was all she could focus on. That was all she needed. Yes, she'd originally performed bankai because Renji had been fatally injured, but now she knew she didn't need that to get her through it. That pride in his eyes alone was all she needed now. Her spiritual energy spiked as the chain chased Yamamoto around the circle he was dancing. She wouldn't catch him, no way, but it didn't matter anymore. She'd done what he'd asked.

_Believer, you'll leave her, in leaving them all_

_No but I don't buy it_

_Like anything you do, as anyone you are_

_Ten Speed, if I must... then I must_

_Believer, you'll leave her, in leaving them all_

_No but I don't buy it_

_Like anything you do, as anyone you are_

_Nobody knows but you_

_Nobody knows but you_

_'Cause I don't want to ride tonight..._

_No I don't want to go_

_I don't want to ride tonight..._

_Or maybe I don't want to go_

He was still dodging her attack when her spiritual pressure began to drop. The amount of energy it took to command the damn thing was something she hadn't gotten used to and it would probably be a long time before she ever did. Still, it was a wicked attack that, once perfected, would kick so much ass it wouldn't be funny.

The tangibility of her chain was beginning to fade out, so was her strength. Tired and wobbly, Claudia yanked the chain back to her and stumbled, breathing heavily while she tried to keep herself going. Yamamoto didn't seem to be satisfied, which scared her. She didn't have the energy to do anything else.

_"But are you going to kill her off?"_

_"It's not your decision. I love the character, she stays."_

_"Yeah, well the only thing love's done is put you in this position; I say kill her off!"_

_"Yeah, but you say a lot of things... and how does that work? You're a bicycle"_

_Believer, you'll leave her, in leaving them all_

_No but I don't buy it_

_Like anything you do, as anyone you are_

_Ten Speed, if I must... then I must_

_Believer, you'll leave her, in leaving them all_

_No but I don't buy it_

_Like anything you do, as anyone you are_

_Cause I'm..._

_Ten Speed, of God's Blood & Burial _

_Ten Speed, of God's Blood_

He was on her in a second but her bankai vanished and she slammed the blades of Sarubimaru into the ground as they reformed just to stay upright. It didn't matter what happened now, she'd face him standing up no matter what it took.

Yamamoto stopped with Ryujin jakka barely a centimeter from her face and stayed there for several long minutes.

"You've passed," He lowered and sheathed his zanpakuto, taking a small step backwards while Claudia's hold on her zanpakuto slipped and she hit her ass on the ground, huffing and puffing in exhaustion.

"Arigato," She managed to get out before she fell backwards into the dirt, her arms spread out beside her.

"I grant you the rank of captain. You will undergo formal training over the next several weeks before you officially claim a division, but you will be a captain." Yamamoto looked over towards Renji and Ikkaku and nodded once as he turned, replaced his shihakusho over his shoulders and strolled back towards the living quarters of the Seireitei. "Is there anything you wish that I might grant you in return for a glimpse at your true power?"

Claudia blinked rapidly in surprise as he waited for her response. She was still lying on the ground, unable to get back up at the moment. "I…y-yes! Kima, the woman that commanded the armor of Destruction, she's in the Rukongai somewhere. Please grant her admission to the soul reaper academy. She'd be a great asset,"

Yamamoto nodded once, sharply. "Granted. Once she has been found within Rukongai, she will be immediately admitted to the academy,"

"Arigato!"

Most of the crowd dispersed with him, but a good little bit of them stayed behind to talk about what had just happened.

Claudia blinked as a form blocked the sun that was burning her eyes and squinted up at Renji's grinning face.

"Stop grinning like an idiot and help me up!" Claudia groaned, wrenching her eyes closed. "I can't fucking move!" She squealed in surprise as Kenpachi yanked her up and threw her over his shoulder, Renji still didn't have the strength carry himself around, let alone carry her, and she tried vainly to elbow him in the back of his head.

"Not like that, you jerk!"

"Take what you get and shut your trap," Kenpachi laughed as they turned and leapt back towards the squad four infirmary. Yachiru took hold of Sarubimaru and followed the group as they headed back inside. The blade, to her, was unusually heavy which just gave her hint of how much spiritual energy Claudia must really have. She hadn't heard very many stories about the Doji family, but she knew they had been pretty powerful, so it wasn't that much of a surprise. Yachiru wondered just how strong Claudia would become now that she was in the Soul Society and would be getting the proper training for her gifts.

She wasn't the strongest captain among them, she had a long way to go before she even thought about claiming that title, but one thing was for sure; Yachiru sure as hell didn't want to have to fight her any time soon.

...

"How do you feel?"

Claudia groaned as his voice penetrated the haze of her sleep and she rolled away from him, burying her head beneath her pillow.

Renji just smiled and chuckled as he reached out and pulled the pillow away from her. "You've got to get used to this early rising thing. Captains have meetings and other things they have to attend to in the morning,"

"I've got the rank, not the assignment," Claudia muttered as she snatched the pillow away from him and pressed it back against her ear.

"Yeah, well, still," Renji crawled onto the cot next to her, clearly healed and in much better shape now, and wrapped himself around her. "You should get up. Hitsugaya-taichou wants to get out into the Rukongai and start looking for Kima this morning,"

Claudia sat up quickly which forced Renji onto the floor. He howled as he fell, groaning when he hit.

"Thanks, Claudia,"

"Why didn't you say something!" She cried as she jumped up and scrambled around the room for her shihakusho. She blushed as she turned to face Renji who was still sitting stark naked on the floor. "Put on your clothes, baka!"

He grinned at her and got up onto his feet, giving her a naughty little wiggle as he moved for his own shihakusho. She was still blushing as she glared at him and smacked him on the back of the head. Renji managed to get fully dressed before she threw the sliding door open and marched outside to find Toshiro waiting for them at the end of the path, perched casually on the railing of the walkway, his arms behind his head. He looked completely relaxed and he was actually smiling.

Renji was tying off his hair and applying the bandana when he caught up to them at the gate to the Rukongai.

"You guys ready?" Toshiro questioned when it seemed that Renji was finished dressing himself.

"Yeah, let's go," It wasn't just the thought of finding Kima out there that had Claudia excited. It was possible they'd also find Dorian, though she wasn't getting her hopes up. The Rukongai was virtually endless. It was vast and would take several weeks to completely explore, possibly months because of the sheer amount of souls that inhabited it. There were so many different districts throughout, and even more land beyond it to explore.

Although, it didn't matter how long it took so long as she found him eventually. Urahara had told him to join the soul reaper academy, but it seemed that he hadn't yet done that. Maybe now that she was there, word would somehow reach him and he'd find a way there. She'd love to see him amongst the soul reaper ranks, possibly even have him in her own company one day. That would be a grand role reversal. She in charge and he the follower.

She giggled to herself and Renji threw her an amused glance. "What's funny?"

"I'll tell you later," She looked around as Renji reached out and slipped his hand into hers. The action was a little foreign to her, he usually just threw his arm around her shoulders like Kento would with Cye, so she had to stare at their hands for a moment while they walked before she adjusted herself to it.

"How long do you think we'll have to look?"

"Not long," Toshiro mused as they crossed into the fourth district and gave it a quick look over. "If I know Kima, she would have been storming towards the Seireitei from wherever she ended up. She'll probably end up meeting us halfway. Not that it matters how long we're gone. I left Matsumoto with all the paperwork,"

"And when has she ever actually done it?" Renji chuckled. Toshiro shrugged a little as they walked through districts five and six and headed off in a different direction from district seven. There was no sign of Kima or Dorian anywhere, but they still had a very long way to go.

"So what's the plan, Claudia? What are you going to do?"

Claudia shrugged a little as they walked through another larger district. "I've still got a few more weeks of training to get through until Old Man Yama actually gives me a squad. Beyond that, I don't really know."

"How are the kido lessons coming along?" Toshiro questioned, sincerely interested in her progress. It had been three weeks since her fight with head captain Yamamoto and he was curious as to how far she'd progressed. Whenever he saw her she always looked stronger, more confident, but she also looked worn down, so he always forgave her for her late rising in the mornings. Not only was she being trained by Byakuya Kuchiki, she was also being trained by Old Man Yama himself sometimes, as well as Kenpachi, Kurotsuchi and Komamura. Soi Fon had even taken part in her latest training session with kido. It was no wonder the woman was exhausted. She barely gave herself time enough to rest before she was jumping right back into it again.

Toshiro smiled a little. Aside from all of the training, she seemed extremely happy to be here, though a visit to the human world every now and again was definitely something she hoped for. The girl liked to party and there weren't exactly any dance clubs within the Seireitei. And she still had her adoptive parents to think about. She couldn't just disappear on them. Well, she could, but she wasn't the type of person to do that.

And what about her relationship with Renji? How far would it go? How far did they want it to go? They were pretty much inseparable these days and there was just too much between them for anyone to deny they were together for good. They were just alike in almost every aspect possible, and Toshiro already knew what Renji eventually wanted. It was Claudia that didn't really announce her intentions. Renji didn't either, but he damn sure didn't hide them.

How long would it be before Renji let his control slip and she ended up heavy with his kid? Or kids?

Toshiro chuckled out loud, gaining a curious glance from the couple, but he gave them nothing in return. He was still smirking an hour later as they stopped to take a break in their search for Kima and Dorian.

"The people around here don't seem bothered by the presence of soul reapers," Claudia observed as she leaned against Renji and closed her eyes. She was more tired than she'd been letting on, but neither men planned on pointing that out to her. She may claim that Renji was a stubborn ass, which was completely true, but she wasn't any less stubborn.

"Soul reapers patrol through every now and again, but not very often. We don't usually interfere with what goes on in the Rukongai unless it's serious, but there hasn't been any need for that kind of intervention in a few centuries. Not at all since I've been a captain," Toshiro shrugged as he sat back on the bench and folded his arms over his chest. "There might be a few more patrols through the outer districts because of the number of souls that passed through because of Aizen's little game, but other than that, there's really no need for us to make any visits. Honestly, the Shiba clan pretty much keeps the place in check. Though Ganju tends to get a little rambunctious,"

Renji snorted but didn't offer any insight into that experience. Claudia was too tired to ask. He smiled at her as she started to doze and leaned back against the bench, taking her into his arms.

"Claudia?"

"Hm?"

"What would you say if I asked you to marry me?"

"Hm," She chuckled quietly. "That you're damn crazy, but yes," She was snoozing quietly a second later and Renji had to turn his face away from Toshiro to keep the captain from seeing the happy wetness that had welled up into his eyes. Toshiro still caught sight of it, but he just snorted.

"Freaks,"

"Be nice to them! That was sweet!"

Claudia snapped awake and leapt forward, throwing her arms around the blond haired woman as if she'd been shocked by electricity.

"Kima!"

The woman grinned at them as she hugged Claudia. "The one and only!"

...

End Chapter


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Renji had awoken briefly only to continue to sleep a little while later. Toshiro felt some warmth traveling through his blood stream due to the alcohol. After Claudia had left the rooftop, he stayed up there alone for some time. The sky was beginning to lighten in the distance as Unohana appeared in front of him.

"We're taking Abarai-fukutaichou back to the Seireitei, Hitsugaya-taichou. Yamamoto-sotaichou expects a full report once you return."

"I'll have everything for him then." Toshiro replied as the captain of the fourth division disappeared once again.

"I'm sorry to keep popping up like this," came a voice from behind him, "but if you're going home, send me there too. I don't want to be stuck here."

Toshiro turned to see Kima's spirit on the roof with him. The chain that bound her to this world had already appeared in her chest. "Of course. I can't leave you here."

The blonde smiled brightly as she moved a bit closer to him. "Don't worry so much, Shiro-chan. I'll find you if you don't find me first."

"I believe you. I will find you. You can count on that."

"We'll see each other soon. Probably sooner than you think, I bet." Kima said, tilting her head a bit. "If Matsumoto-san will let me near you, that is."

An honest smile lit Toshiro's face as he took a step closer to the spirit. "I'll make sure she does. I've sent a message to the Ronins. They should be up-"

"What did you call us up here for, Whitey-san?" Kento bellowed, quite drunk.

"Any minute now." the captain finished. "You can go on, if you'd like."

Kento blinked several times before turning to Rowen and nudging him with his elbow. "Am I crazy or do you see her there too?"

Rowen rolled his eyes before replying. "You're crazy, Kento, but yes, I see her too."

"What are you still doing here, Kima?" Ryo asked. "I thought you'd moved on already."

The blonde spirit shook her head. "I was putting it off long enough to say goodbye. I think you guys deserve that much."

"It won't be goodbye forever." Sage said. "Claudia made that clear. We'll be seeing you again, Kima. You can count on that."

"I expect to get some of your cooking when I get back, Cye." she giggled.

Cye nodded in response. "Only if you come back though. Otherwise you don't get free meals." he said with a wry smile.

"Take care, Kima. We'll be waiting on you to come back." Ryo spoke in a serious manner.

"Don't take shit from anybody, girl." Kento slurred. "I expect you to get stronger while you're gone."

The blonde giggled once again. "You don't have to worry about that. It's not like I'm going to be sitting on my ass the whole time."

"It's time to go, Kima." Toshiro said softly.

Kima nodded as she stood directly in front of him. The captain removed his zanpakuto and turned the butt toward her. The seal on the end of the hilt began to glow a soft blue as the white-haired man stared at the spirit in front of him. She was staring back, emotion thick in the air.

"Once I perform the konso, you'll end up in Rukongai. There are many spirits there and many districts, so don't get discouraged. You can tell where the Seireitei is by the giant walls that surround it." he explained. The spirit nodded but was otherwise silent. "Don't be scared."

"I'm not." Kima replied. "You'll find me. I trust you."

Toshiro nodded as he raised the hilt of his sword toward her forehead. She waved to the Ronins as she cocked her head to the side and smiled. As soon as the captain touched the seal to her skin, a blue wave passed over her before it looked like her spirit began to dissolve. Toshiro lowered his arm as she disappeared. It was done. It was time to go home.

"I guess this is goodbye then, eh cap?" Kento asked, resting an arm on Cye's shoulder.

The white-haired captain nodded. "It's time that I head back to the Seireitei and conclude my mission. I'm sure there's more than enough work that needs to be done."

"We can't thank you enough, Hitsugaya-taichou." Ryo said, bowing to him.

"There's no need to thank me. I was just doing my duty as a shinigami." Toshiro said, bowing back. "Aizen is not done with you. He's merely diverted his attention for the moment. He'll be trying to perfect giving the hollows shinigami abilities through use of the Hogyoku. We'll be seeing each other again."

"We expect you to have Kima with you when you come back." Rowen said with a grin on his face.

Toshiro nodded as a set of sliding doors appeared in front of him. With a final wave to the Ronin Warriors, he entered the door. When he stepped through to the other side of the door, his feet touched down on the marble of the Seireitei. He was home.

...

The stuffy temperature of the office was making him uncomfortable. The amount of paperwork he was dealing with was ridiculous. Who would've thought an intervention mission would've led to so many reports and forms? Sighing, Captain Hitsugaya paused in his writing to gaze absent-mindedly out the window; an act that was becoming more frequent in the past three weeks.

Three weeks of searching and he'd yet to find Kima within the Rukongai. Even though it was vast, he'd have thought he'd have found some sign of her. Claudia had been reassuring him that she would turn up and she would find him if he couldn't find her. He was sure that the brunette was right, but he was discouraged none the less.

Toshiro glanced back from the window briefly when he heard his door open. His icy blue eyes returned to the gardens outside when he saw that it was Hinamori. She'd taken to checking in on him at least once a day since his return. He had a feeling that Rangiku had something to do with it. The captain sighed as he rested his cheek in his hand.

"Why so glum, Shiro-chan? You're home now and the battle is over for the moment." she asked, sitting on the corner of his desk.

He simply gave her a withering look before sighing again. "There is something that would dishearten me."

"Kima-san hasn't turned up yet, has she?" Momo asked, a saddened look coming over her face.

Toshiro shook his head. "Nothing. I've looked and looked and there's no sign of her anywhere."

"She'll turn up, Shiro-chan. It might take some time, but she'll turn up. She's a strong woman, from what you've told me. She'll find a way back to you."

"That's just it, Momo." Toshiro said, becoming suddenly nervous and wringing his hands. "What if she wanders into the rougher parts of Rukongai? There's no way she'd know which those are and the riff raff there are not to be toyed with. She has no soul reaper training."

Momo sighed. "You really do love her, don't you Toshiro? Have faith in Kima-san. She'll find a way back to you. I know she will."

The white-haired captain rose to his feet and stretched just as Rangiku walked through the door. The strawberry blonde had a giant smile on her face as she crossed the floor to his desk, leaning over it unscrupulously.

"Ohayo, taichou! You look well. Ohayo, Hinamori-kun!"

"I'm going to the captains' meeting, Matsumoto. I expect the rest of this paperwork to be done by the time I get back. I'll be going out to Rukongai to look for Kima, so that'll leave you plenty of time to do it in."

Rangiku's face fell to one of protest as her superior started toward the door. Her shouts of protest fell on deaf ears as Toshiro exited his office and headed toward the division one building. Both women were left alone in the silent office as Rangiku sighed and sat down behind the desk, pulling out the secret stash of sake.

...

"I have called you all here to discuss the issue of one Claudia Preston. She has shown the abilities of a true blood shinigami and has returned with Abarai-fukutaichou to the Seireitei." Head Captain Yamamoto began. "Some of you have taken more quickly to her than others. My next statement is made as commander general and I will have no oppositions. Claudia-san has used bankai and has the ability to become a captain."

"I have not personally seen her in battle. Hitsugaya-taichou, Zaraki-taichou, and Kuchiki-taichou have all aided in her training and agree that she has potential. I believe that with the proper training, she could take one of the vacant captains' seats. I will summon her to me to speak of the challenge I will present. Now, I want a report of the happenings of the battle with the arrancar."

Toshiro stepped forward from his place among the other captains. Bowing, he spoke. "Sotaichou, it wasn't apparent until just before the final battle that the arrancar was a ploy created by Aizen. He was using the warlords and the gates of the Dynasty to hide the entrance to Hueco Mundo. Aizen has further plans than merely placing a gate within the Seireitei."

Yamamoto furrow his brow. "Please continue, Hitsugaya-taichou."

The white-haired captain nodded. "I believe that Aizen has every intent of gaining the ten armors and somehow siphoning their powers for his own use. If this were to occur, both the human world and Soul Society would be destroyed."

"Soi Fon-taichou."

"Hai!"

"Dispatch the intelligence force immediately. I want to know if there is any way to find out what Aizen is planning and if we can stop him. I am going to challenge Claudia-san to a duel to test her abilities. It is your duty to be present during this exam. You are dismissed!"

...

It seemed as if the entire Gotei 13 and the academy had shown up to see the battle between Head Captain Yamamoto and the unknown true blood, Claudia Preston. The white-haired captain could see her down below with Renji, Kenpachi, Yachiru, and Ikkaku. Toshiro had opted not to sit in the specified section with the other captains. He was hoping that maybe Kima could've gotten in by some miracle of fate.

"I see you're not with your fellow captains, Hitsugaya-san."

Toshiro turned to see a familiar face standing next to him. "Hai, Shuten-san. After being away from them for so long, it's hard to readjust to the title again."

The Ancient chuckled. "You're sure it wouldn't have anything to do with looking for Kima in the crowd?"

"I'm positive." the white-haired man protested, flushing slightly.

"You don't have to lie. I'm laying low for the moment, so I won't tell anyone." Shuten said. "It's been three weeks since you've last seen her. You're missing our little Destroyer."

Toshiro nodded as he turned his attention back to the battle. Claudia seemed to be doing well, surviving just barely. He and the Ancient were both silent as they looked on. It could easily have been a slaughter had Claudia not had any training prior to her battle with the commander general.

"You do realize that Dais is also here, don't you?"

The captain of the tenth division whipped his head toward the Ancient. "You don't think he'll try to start anything, do you?"

Shuten shook his head. "I doubt it. Urahara and myself have been keeping an eye on him. He won't give you or Kima any trouble."

Toshiro nodded. "Good. I would hate to cut my brief period of peace short by having to kick his ass again."

Shuten laughed. "I'm sure that Kima would be upset as well."

Captain Hitsugaya turned his attention back to the battle only to see Yamamoto halt the attack of Ryujin Jakka mere centimeters from Claudia's face. The battle was over and she'd passed the test. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he saw the brunette look grateful as she bowed in thanks to her new commanding officer.

"Well, it would appear that Claudia passed the test."

"It would seem so. After she undergoes the correct training, there are three possible captains' seats she could fill. The hardest part is over now."

Kenpachi was carrying her off of the battlefield as she was exhausted. Shuten had disappeared once again into the crowd. Perhaps after Claudia began her training, they could all search for Kima together.

...

Toshiro sighed as he, Renji, and Claudia were taking a break from their search. They had cleared the fourth and fifth districts and still found nothing. Renji and Claudia were talking back and forth, the redhead finally asking the brunette to marry him. The white-haired captain rolled his eyes when she said yes. That answer was a given.

"Freaks." he mumbled, slightly jealous.

"Don't be mean to them! That was sweet!"

Toshiro turned to find the owner of the voice as Claudia launched from her seat to engulf the woman standing before them in a bear hug. "Kima!"

The blonde grinned as she returned the hug. "The one and only."

Renji was also grinning. "God, are we glad to see you. We were getting tired of walking."

"I'm so glad that I could've been of some service." Kima retorted, rolling her eyes. "Nobody's going to get weepy on me, are they?"

"No," Claudia replied, "but I have some good news for you."

"Oh yeah? What would that be?"

Claudia could barely contain her excitement and the blonde could see that. "The head captain granted me one request for passing his test. I'm going to become a captain and _you're_ going to go into the soul reaper academy."

"Me?" Kima asked. "Back to school? I never thought I'd see that happen. I'm glad to be of some use though."

A smirk settled on Toshiro's face. "That means starting from scratch."

"Look at you." Kima teased. "I'm back less than five minutes and you're already patronizing me. You're going to be one of my superiors too. This is going to be fun."

"Once we get you squared away at the academy, you'll be granted access to the Seireitei. You can visit us any time you want." the captain explained.

Renji elbowed her in the ribs in a playful manner. "You have to address us by our titles in public, but that doesn't mean you don't get bedtime privileges."

Kima turned bright red as she smacked him in the back of the head. "I swear, you're getting as bad as Kento!"

Claudia giggled as she drug her fiancé with her a few feet in front of them to return to the Seireitei. Toshiro remained behind with her, eventually losing them in the crowd. He slyly reached down and entwined his fingers with hers, pulling her a little closer. After over a month, he'd finally found the one he was looking for. A smile formed on his lips.

"What are you so happy about?"

"What do you think I'm so happy about?" Toshiro asked, stopping and turning her to face him.

A small smile placed itself on her face. "I know. I'm happy too. It's been horrible being by myself for over a month. I've rather gotten used to company."

The captain scooped her into his arms, crushing her against him. The smell of her hair filled his nostrils and for the first time since her death, he felt complete. Toshiro could feel her trembling against him and moved her far enough away to see her crying.

"I think I can sneak you in before we pay a visit to the academy."

"So I'm going to get a personal tour of your quarters?" Kima asked.

"Yes, I think so."

...

The sun was sinking behind the hills when the blonde finally cracked an eye open. The shadows had begun to stretch across the floor and walls as she rolled over to see Toshiro still sleeping. Kima smiled as she examined the peaceful expression left on his features by sleep, a lock of white hair falling into his eyes. He was nude, covered from the waist down, his arm draped lazily over her. The blonde smile gently as she huddled a little closer to him. She giggled a little when she felt his arm pulling her closer, nuzzling his face into her hair.

"I'm surprised that you're awake already." Toshiro muttered in a groggy tone.

Kima giggled as she turned to face him, planting a kiss on his nose. "I've always been one of the earliest risers. It's not going to change in the afterlife."

His icy blue eyes were lit by a warm emotion as he stared at her. He swiped her bangs out of her eyes gently, her soft skin under his calloused fingers. "It's good to have you back. I've missed you, Kima."

"I've missed you too, Shiro-chan. Now, what is this about starting at the academy?"

Toshiro chuckled as he pulled her closer. "Claudia requested that Yamamoto-sotaichou allow you into the soul reaper academy. You'll train to be a shinigami."

"So I'll become one of the division members?" Kima asked, kissing him lightly.

"Probably not my division though. It would be a conflict of interest." Toshiro smiled.

"Would it now?" the blonde grinned, rolling him over onto his back. "I don't see why it'd be a conflict of interest."

The captain grinned as well as he rested his hands on her hips as she straddled him. Unaware that Matsumoto and Hinamori were peaking in, he rolled her over onto her back as Kima gave a startled squeal. Both women blushed as they pulled away from the door.

"I've never seen taichou act like that." Matsumoto said, her voice wavering.

"That's something I never wanted to see in my whole entire life." Hinamori admitted, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"I never imagined his butt to be…" Matsumoto commented, dropping off at the very end.

"…so white." Hinamori finished.

...

_Holding the sword overhead collecting lightning_

_My heart shines with loneliness_

_What should I aim for?_

_Who should I love, my love?_

_Where's the answer?_

_Anyone is a distant traveler in this town_

_Becoming like a lost child, tomorrow also_

_I'll keep walking_

The instructor was so boring. Kima was doing just about anything to keep her eyes open. She had even taken to pulling lint off of her red and white uniform. God, Kido was the most boring subject to be invented. She seemed to be excelling in all of the other subjects at the academy. Why the hell was a spirit bomb so hard?

Kima sighed as she began to scribble on her paper. Doodles again. Somehow the kanji of the Ronin Warriors and doodles of their weapons always made it into her notes. Okay, so she missed the guys. It's not that she hadn't made friends here. Claudia and Renji were still around, not to mention Toshiro, but with official duties, who had much time? The blonde had taken to drinking with Ikkaku and Tetsuzaemon. _That_ was interesting sometimes.

"Hagashi-kun! Please pay attention!"

"Hai, sensei!"

What the hell? Why did the instructor always have to catch her? Kima couldn't wait until this damn class was over. The other younger shinigami always cast her wary glances. That didn't even count for the rumors that were going around at the academy about her. Rumors didn't hurt her feelings, they just pissed her off. If they wanted to say something to her, why didn't they just say it or ask her about it or just fight her? That would've been much better.

"What's with that one? Why is she always with the shinigami?"

"I heard she's sleeping with Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Is he even old enough for her?"

"I don't know. He's one of the youngest captains in the Gotei 13. I guess they would be close to the same age."

Kima growled under her breath. "I can hear you, you know. Why don't you just say whatever it is you want to say to my face?"

"Oh, Hagashi-kun! We didn't realize you could hear us."

"I'm not deaf." Kima snapped. "Why don't we settle this on the practice field?"

"Hagashi-kun!" the instructor shouted. "This is the last time I will tell you. You may be here by request of Preston-taichou, but you _will_ follow the rules and respect the other students!"

Kima nodded as she sat back down. Finally deciding that today's class was complete bull shit, the blonde was glad that she was sitting by the window. Time to put those armored ninja skills to work. Making sure that no one was watching her, Kima slid the window open and dropped right out of it with her books in her arms.

_Unreachable dream, flower petals dance in the storm_

_Becoming wind, becoming rain, before I realize_

_The heart is a samurai, emptiness embraces the armor_

_Take it off, dress only in your bravery_

The grounds of the academy were beautifully kept. The trees and shrubs seemed to always be green. No brown or dry spots ever seemed to be there. All the flowers appeared to be in perfect bloom. As she wandered through the trees, she saw the different classes doing their different zanpakuto exercises and kido forms. It was hard to believe that she'd been in the academy for six months already.

Kima had been able to meet her zanpakuto's spirit. It had been two months since she'd been acquainted with Tennoharuka. The falcon was a smart ass, to say the least. He'd been popping into her mind daily to annoy her. Toshiro had told her that all zanpakuto spirits were different and that Hyorinmaru spoke to him frequently, even materializing from time to time.

_"You shouldn't be skipping class, you know."_

"Yes, father. It's just for today, Tennoharuka."

_"Don't you think Hitsugaya-taichou will have something to say about this?"_ the falcon asked.

Kima shook her head. "Shiro-chan knows that he can't tell me anything. He's just as stubborn as I am."

_"Whatever. As long as you graduate from the academy and I get some use, we're fine. I've been noticing that there's something inhibiting your kido skills."_

"I've been noticing that too. Any ideas on what it could be?" the blonde asked.

_"It wouldn't have anything to do with that thing around your neck, would it?"_ Tennoharuka asked.

The shinigami in training lifted her kanji orb from underneath her uniform by the chain, looking at it closely. "I wouldn't think it would cause something like that. I mean, I'm dead. It can't still control me, can it?"

If the spirit could shrug its shoulders, Tennoharuka would be doing just that. _"How do I know such things? I'm not the expert of the armor. Maybe you should ask that other guy. What's his name? Shuten?"_

"I'll ask him when I can find him again. He seems to make himself disappear at the worst times."

_Gaps between buildings, when I look up at the moon_

_My sweet eyes are rubies_

_If blazing red_

_Transparent future, my love_

_Anyone is a distant traveler, a secret dream_

_Surpassing even a miracle_

_Continues to stay afloat_

Making it into the closest division headquarters she could find, Kima was greeted by Ikkaku and Yumichika as well as a bottle of sake. The bald third seat grinned at her as he held up a bottle for her.

"You're here early today, X-chan!" Ikkaku shouted, well on his way to being intoxicated.

Yumichika flicked his hair. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Kima rolled her eyes. "What am I, ten? Jeez. You guys are worse than my mother."

It was then that Kenpachi and Claudia walked out of the eleventh division training room. Kima had since taken a seat and a swig of sake. The brunette blinked in surprise as she caught the blonde in mid slurp and Kenpachi just laughed.

"Decided not to stick with class today, X-chan?" Kenpachi asked, laughing.

Kima gave a big smile and shook her head furiously. "Nope. All the students in my class are so caddy. I can't stand them, so I decided to come keep you guys company."

Claudia chuckled as well. "So, how are classes going, Kima?"

The blonde shrugged. "Everything's going fine except for kido. I just can't seem to get it. What is it other than a kamehameha wave? I don't see the point."

"Demon magic could come in handy." a voice came from a little further down the wooden walk. "You should take it more seriously."

Kima licked a drop a of sake off her chin. "Says you. I just can't make it work with me for some reason."

Ikkaku gave a drunken giggle as he turned his attention to his drinking buddy. "Maybe you're just slow. I mean like…learning deficiency slow."

"What?" Kima asked, quirking an eyebrow as she slapped him in the back the head.

"You heard me!" Ikkaku barked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well at least my bankai isn't overcompensating for something else!" Kima shrieked.

Everyone was silent for a few moments before laughter erupted and filled the air. The third seat turned visibly red as if he were about to explode. Kima was giggling madly, the sake starting to take effect.

"You don't even have a bankai! How can you make fun of me?" Ikkaku shouted, Yumichika giggling into his hands.

"Very easily!" was the retort.

_The heart is a samurai_

_Emptiness embraces the armor_

_Take it off, dress only in your bravery_

Kenpachi chuckled as he turned to his lieutenant, who was perched on his shoulder. Then he looked to his sibling figure who was standing next to him. A calculating grin adorned his face as he made himself comfortable against one of the wooden posts.

"What would you say if I wanted to put you in my squad, X-chan?" he asked, the grin still on his face.

"Yay, yay! X-chan will be with us!" Yachiru chanted as she clapped her hands together.

Kima seemed to ponder this for a moment. "I guess so. Being in squad ten or squad three would be a 'conflict of interest.' What the hell, let's do it, Kenny."

Ikkaku's mouth dropped open at this. "What? You'd been in division eleven? What the hell! I had to work for this position! And why the hell do you get to get away with calling Zaraki-taichou 'Kenny'? Unfair!"

"I don't know," Kenpachi mused, "I haven't seen her in action yet, but I might even make X-chan my fourth seat."

The bald man fell over as Yumichika let out a laugh. "At least the seat with the ugly number will be filled! X-chan can have it!"

"That means, by number, I'm stronger than you feather head." Kima grumbled. "What do you have to say about that?"

"I say that Tennoharuka could catch up to Hozukimaru quickly. That's all." Yumichika said with a shrug.

"Says who?" Ikkaku shouted, enraged. "You? We'll prove whose stronger right now!"

Kima watched as the bald man leapt to his feet, drawing his zanpakuto. The blonde rolled her eyes as she kept her seat. "You're drunk, baldy. Sit back down."

"I am not bald! I shave my head!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Claudia smirked as she folded her arms over her chest.

Toshiro shook his head. "You're one to talk about being drunk."

"I'm not drunk." Kima commented. "I'm happily intoxicated."

"Keep telling yourself that." the white-haired captain snickered, copying Claudia's words.

Kima reached up and took his hand, pulling him down next to her, and planting a large wet kiss on his mouth. Toshiro blinked at this in surprise. "Now you can say I'm drunk."

Claudia giggled. "I see you two disappearing in the near future."

Toshiro grinned a wicked grin as he rose to his feet, scooping Kima into his arms. The blonde squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. It didn't take long for the captain to shunpo to his quarters.

_Love…is strange_

_Sword of the heart is gentle_

_Lonely heart_

_Someday somewhere overflowing tears fall_

_Wiping them away, thinking that I want them to flow_

_The heart is a samurai, emptiness embraces the armor_

_Take it off, dress only in your bravery_

Kima was wrapped in a sheet as she pulled her knees to her chest. Gazing out the window, she let her mind wander. Toshiro sat next to her, bare-chested, as he followed her gaze. He hadn't seen her think this hard in a while.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

The blonde shook her head. "I've just been getting some kind of…reverberations lately. That's all."

"Reverberations?" Toshiro asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Nodding, Kima lifted the small black orb by its silver chain off of her neck. Such a small thing had caused them so much trouble; would cause them so much trouble in the future. She just wanted to fling the thing away from her or bury it somewhere where no one would ever find it. Sighing, she let it drop by back to her chest.

"Is there any way we could throw it into an active volcano?" the blonde mumbled, resting her head on his shoulder.

Toshiro chuckled. "I don't think it's as easy as that. Perhaps it's just calling out for the Ronins' armors since they'd been together for so long."

"Maybe that's it. Maybe the armor of Destruction misses its friends." Kima suggested, closing her eyes.

The captain found himself playing with her long hair as she sighed in contentment. It was still early in the afternoon, so he'd have to return to his duties. Matsumoto had probably blown up the tenth division building already…or spilled sake all over his paperwork. The woman was a great asset, but he found himself wanting to kill her sometimes.

Kissing Kima's forehead, he gently slid his shoulder out from under her head. The blonde pouted up at him as he moved to redress himself. "Don't give me that look." he said, trying to suppress a laugh. It would only encourage her. "I'll see you tonight. Please don't drink too much with Ikkaku and the others."

Kima sighed as if it were an impossible request. "I guess I can hold myself back. You'll be home on time, won't you?"

"We'll see. If Matsumoto-fukutaichou hasn't done more harm than good, I should be back on time." Toshiro admitted as he slid the door to his quarters open. "I love you, Kima."

"Love you too, Shiro-chan. Have a good rest of the day." she called after him, smiling broadly as he closed the door. "Now, time to go interrupt Claudia and Renji."

_Unreachable dream, flower petals dance in the storm_

_Becoming wind, becoming rain, before I realize_

_The heart is a samurai, emptiness embraces the armor_

_Take it off, dress only in your bravery_

...

Darkness hugged the small dank space lovingly as it seemed to pulse like some living thing. Except for the occasional dripping of water, the cave's inhabitants went otherwise undisturbed. A strange sort of pressure filled the place for it being relatively vacant. The insects and bats that dwelt there went on about their daily rituals as if the newcomer wasn't even there.

A strange silvery light resonated from the back of the chamber, putting up a small sort of force field around what was emitting the light. After six month, there would surely be some sign of decay on the body that lay in that force field, but that assumption was incorrect. In fact, the body looked no different than it had six months ago when it had "died." Scavengers knew well to stay away from this place. Even the insects left the body undisturbed.

Despite this spiritual warning, a new creature to the resting place crawled on its belly only to stop as close as it dared. Covered in bright red and deep green scales, the snake's pale eyes began to glow, showing everything that it was seeing to its master. A laugh could be heard echoing through the cave loudly, causing the insects to scurry away and the bats to let out screeches of protest.

On the rock slab, the armored body continued to lay still. It gave the appearance of a cadaver. Only the snake was watching close enough to notice the right hand. The fingers twitched and lifted for an instant before they were still once more. The body inside the armor wasn't dead, and therefore still bound to it. Could they have been fool enough not to realize the warrior was still alive? Another laugh echoed through the chamber, making the bats give a hasty retreat. The soul could be brought back to the body. That was simple enough. This information must be passed on to his master and he would _definitely_ be pleased.

_"So it is true what they say." _the snake hissed. _"Destroyer is alive. It would appear that the old proverb is true. You can't kill what's stronger than death."_

...

End?


End file.
